


Lavish

by pouty_hoseok



Series: Royals [5]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha Choi Soobin, Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Kang Taehyun, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Beta Huening Kai, Beta/Omega, Boats and Ships, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cats, Choi Beomgyu-Centric, Cute, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Established Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Established Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Established Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Established Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Established Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, Family Feels, Family Reunions, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Gay, Help, How Do I Tag, Kang Taehyun-Centric, Kim Taehyung | V is a Sweetheart, Kissing, M/M, Minor Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Minor Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Minor Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Minor Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Mpreg, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Choi Beomgyu, Omega Choi Yeonjun, Omega Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Omega Kim Seokjin | Jin, Omega Kim Taehyung | V, Omega Min Yoongi | Suga, Pregnancy, Pregnant Choi Beomgyu, Sickfic, Soft Choi Beomgyu, Soft Kang Taehyun, Sweetheart Choi Beomgyu, Teen Pregnancy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Whipped Choi Beomgyu, Whipped Kang Taehyun, bc taehyun won't stop waxing poetry about him smh, cuteness, help me, hobak, i was really surprised when i saw that hobi and kai was a tag ngl, i will make that a tag istg, idk anymore, idk lol, it's soft uwu, its cute tho, its so fluffy help, or . . . is it ot14?, ot12 friendship, there's more (i think) but idc bye, they're all sweethearts tbh, y'all i just needed affection and this was the best way to get it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouty_hoseok/pseuds/pouty_hoseok
Summary: Taehyun is nothing short of whipped for Beomgyu.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Huening Kai/Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin
Series: Royals [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732594
Comments: 12
Kudos: 76





	Lavish

**Author's Note:**

> it's so soft i'm sorry but i love it and this was so fun to write  
> ALSO:  
> ETERNALLY MV: AWESOME  
> STAY GOLD MV: AWESOME

Taehyun would be lying if he said he thought he’d be expecting twins at the (according to Seokjin) “tender age of eighteen”. He’d be lying even more if he said he’d thought that it would be with the love of his life, Beomgyu, and that they’d be fighting in what’s to be the greatest rebellion ever. But hey, life is full of surprises. This one is pretty good. 

“Taehyun-ah,” Beomgyu says from the doorway. Taehyun looks up and grins, shuffling over. Beomgyu’s wearing a large, loose shirt and some underpants, though there isn’t anything else. They’re on a boat to Inura right now, and Taehyun is pretty surprised that they’ve had so little trouble with the pups. 

“Hm? What is it, angel?” he asks as he crouches down to pick his Omega up. Beomgyu squawks in surprise as Taehyun carries him bridal style to their nest, setting him down. 

“Well, I guess you’ve already done it,” he says as he settles down in his nest. Taehyun grins as he joins him, nuzzling the underside of his jaw. Beomgyu begins running his fingers through his hair, humming absent-mindedly. He’s rubbing his belly and Taehyun gets up suddenly. 

“Whatchya doing?” Beomgyu says as he walks over to grab the lotion brought by Seokjin, their self-acclaimed “pregnancy expert”. He uncaps the container and then sets it aside as he grabs Beomgyu by the ankles and tugs him over to the edge of the bed. He pushes his shirt up to rest on the swell of his stomach and smiles, kissing it softly. 

“I love you,” he says. Beomgyu giggles and reaches down to ruffle his hair. 

“I love you too, Hyun-ah,” he says. Taehyun nuzzles his belly and looks up at him with droopy eyes, grinning. Beomgyu keeps combing his fingers through his hair and Taehyun almost forgets his original intentions. 

“Oh, wait,” he says as he dips his finger in and then begins massaging it over his mate’s bulging stomach. Beomgyu sighs and his eyes flutter as he hums in approval. Taehyun stops midway to press his ear against the skin and listen to the soft beating of the two babies growing inside of his mate. Gods, he really can’t believe that he’s going to be an actual _dad_. Isn’t that amazing? 

Without realizing it, Taehyun’s begun to squeal happily. It’s a bunch of high-pitched “Ha! Ah!” noises that Beomgyu loves to tease him about, but Taehyun knows he likes them a lot more than he lets on. 

“Someone’s happy,” Beomgyu says. Taehyung looks up at him and grins, nuzzling his stomach. 

“I’m gonna be- oh my gods, there are going to be pups running around and you- oh my gods, they’re gonna be so _wonderful_. Angel, we’re going to be parents.” Beomgyu laughs and Taehyun can’t stop his grin from expanding as he kisses his stomach. 

“You’re so excited, it’s so cute,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun laughs as he finishes and screws the cap back on, then climbs back into bed to join his mate. Beomgyu smiles as Taehyun begins to cuddle him, sighing happily. 

“Did you ever meet my dad?” he asks suddenly. Taehyun hums and looks at him, shaking his head. 

“I mean, I’ve seen him, but I’ve never met him before,” he says. Beomgyu hums as he begins to rub his belly. The lotion makes it glisten under the light of the lanterns, the stretch marks extra visible. 

“I think I want him to come over here. Well, like, not on the boat. But I wanna see him. I want him to meet you and the pups.” Taehyun hums again and kisses the underside of his jaw. 

“We can make that happen,” he says softly. “Do you wanna go ask Namjoon-Hyung to tell Jeongguk-Hyung?” Beomgyu nods. 

“I miss him,” he says. “I want my pups to have a halabeoji.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause mine sucks,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu smiles and looks at him. 

“He did a few things right. You and Jun-Hyung exist, so I think he’s not too terrible.” Taehyun snorts and kisses his cheek. 

“Mmhmm, angel.” Beomgyu giggles and sighs.

“So,” he says, “names? Have you thought about it yet?”

“Dunno,” Taehyun says. “We don’t even know the genders.”

“And we won’t until they come out. Now, c’mon, gimme some names.” Taehyun laughs and clambers up so they’re facing each other. He grabs Beomgyu by the thighs and tugs him onto his lap, resting his hands on his hips as he tucks his knees under. 

“I dunno,” he says. “What about Taehyun?” 

“No. There’s already one of you.” 

“Jinsoo?” 

“It’s better than Taehyun.” The Alpha laughs and presses a kiss to the side of Beomgyu’s lips. 

“Seokmin?” Beomgyu hums, his eyes growing lidded. Taehyun notices but continues to rattle off names, laughing as Beomgyu grows increasingly more frustrated. 

“Taehyun-ah,” he says suddenly and he swivels his hips. Taehyun hums and looks up at him, smiling softly. Beomgyu drags himself closer, though his enlarged stomach stops him from getting too far. Taehyun giggles as he lifts him up and lays him on the bed, resting between his legs. 

“So, I was thinking that Sarang is pretty nice, you know? Haneul, maybe?” Beomgyu groans and shoves his arm. 

“Yah, stop being mean,” he says. “You can’t be mean when I’m carrying your spawn and I still have, like, four months.” 

“Did you just call our children my ‘spawn’?” Taehyun deadpans. Beomgyu laughs and loops his legs around his middle, using his grip around Taehyun’s torso to tug him closer. Their lips hover over each other and Taehyun grins cheekily as he moves to push Beomgyu’s bangs out of the way to kiss his forehead. He presses a fleeting kiss on each of his eyelids and then moves to his nose, then his cheeks. When he reaches his lips, he skips down to Beomgyu’s chin and then goes behind his ears. 

“Oh my _gods_ ,” Beomgyu says. He reaches up and grabs a handful of Taehyun’s hair, tugging on it. 

“Wow, I never knew _you_ wanted to do that to _me_ , angel. I thought it was the other way around,” Taehyun says against his skin. Beomgyu squawks and hits his back. Taehyun laughs as he pulls away and stares at his gorgeous, gorgeous Omega, his instincts going a little crazy. 

Okay, look. Taehyun prides himself on being a very level headed Alpha. He isn’t ruled by his instincts and he isn’t super possessive. He lets Beomgyu call the shots and he’s fine if Beomgyu suddenly doesn’t want to go any farther than kissing. He tries his hardest not to push Beomgyu, especially when he’s in one of those ‘no touching’ moments. And look, it’s fine. Taehyun is pretty needy, and he’s definitely the needier one in the relationship, but he can respect boundaries where Beomgyu draws them. 

But _gods_ , seeing his mate like this- when he’s swollen and bursting with life and knowing that he’s the one who did it really does something to him. Taehyun isn’t one of those possessive, meatheaded, stereotypical Alphas. He isn’t, don’t get him wrong. Beomgyu is just . . . he’s just so irresistible and seeing him pregnant, full of pups and the epitome of domesticity makes Taehyun crazy. It makes him want to keep Beomgyu in his nest and feed him whatever he wants while showering him with all of the gifts he wants. Hell, he wants to give Beomgyu things before he can even want them. And he’s pretty sure he’s going to be the one caving in when their pups are rushing around, so that’ll be hilarious. 

“What?” Beomgyu says, tilting his head. Taehyun realizes, then, that he’s stopped and gone into a long internal monologue about how gorgeous the man before him is. 

“Gods, why are you so beautiful?” he says breathlessly. Beomgyu snorts and flicks his forehead. 

“You don’t have to compliment me, Taehyun-ah,” he says. “I love you too much and I know I’m fat. I’ve gained, like, 20 kilograms. I’m _fat_.” 

“And I _love_ it,” Taehyun cries, jumping up and throwing his arms out. He makes his little happy noise again. “You’re just- I don’t know, you’re so soft? And it’s not like you weren’t beautiful before, but your curves- I mean, look at them! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” Taehyun sighs. He tugs on the edge of Beomgyu’s shirt and the other man lifts his arms over his head. Taehyung sighs happily as he buries his head in his chest and blows a loud raspberry. He begins smoothing his hands down his sides. It’s like running over hills. “Oh my gods, it’s so cute, I love it so much.” He sighs happily as he begins to pepper kisses all over his mate. Beomgyu’s gained weight, there’s no denying it, but there isn’t any hating it, either. A soft layer of fat has appeared on his chest and Taehyun thinks it’s so cute, and he can cuddle with him even more because it’s so much softer. And then, of course, the hard angles from his bones jutting out against his skin due to malnutrition have been somewhat smoothed out by the fat from the babies and the benefits of eating as much as he wants. His cheeks are a lot chubbier and he’s found it a lot harder to wear his normal clothes. Taehyun thinks everything about him and his pregnancy is absolutely adorable. 

“Ew, do you- are you fetishizing my pregnancy?” Taehyun snorts. 

“Okay, I deserve that,” he says. “I’m sorry for the hair-pulling joke. It was hilarious.” Beomgyu squawks again and then kicks him from the bed, Taehyun yelping as he lands with a loud _thump!_

“Angel,” he whines as he rubs his head, “I think we just-”

“What is it? Are you guys okay? What’s going on?” Seokjin says as he opens the door. Namjoon is standing next to him, rubbing his eyes. His thin-framed spectacles are about to fall off of his nose. Taehyun can relate, as his own are stuck in his hair. Seokjin offered him some sort of magic to splash his face to allow himself to see. His vision’s gotten worse over the years.

“Beomgyu pushed me. Sorry for waking you, Hyungs,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu gasps. 

“What?” Seokjin and Namjoon share a look. 

“Can we go back to bed?” Namjoon rasps. 

“Hyung, can you tell Guk-Hyung to bring my Appa back here? I miss him,” Beomgyu says. “Like, sometime in the morning. Just soon. Thank you, bye-bye!” Seokjin and Namjoon both snort as they leave the room. Taehyun climbs back into bed and smiles at Beomgyu. 

“I love you.” 

A snort. “I love you too.” Taehyun gets up and kisses his head as he heads to the bathroom, splashing his face and brushing his teeth. He grabs his glasses and walks out, turning off the little lanterns. Beomgyu is continuously moving around, then he’s grabbing a pillow and resting it under his stomach. Taehyun hums as he hands him one to put between his knees, taking off his spectacles and placing them on the small table. He clambers into bed and closes his eyes, sighing. 

“Can you hold me?” Beomgyu says softly. Taehyun can smell his distress. He hums and rolls over, opening his arms. Beomgyu moves back until they’re touching. Taehyung presses his nose to the scent glands at the nape of his neck, right on top of his mating bite, and inhales the scent of honeysuckle and oranges. The oranges smell sour and the honeysuckle is faint, though, worrying Taehyun to no end. 

“Are you okay?” 

There’s a shuddering sob in response. Taehyun tugs Beomgyu closer and begins to kiss along his neck. Beomgyu’s rolling over, then, and staring at Taehyun with teary eyes. 

“You won’t leave me, will you?” he says, his voice shaky. “You won’t leave me like Appa did, right?” Taehyun feels like crying as he clicks his tongue and tugs him close. 

“Of course not,” he says. “How could I ever leave such an amazing person like you?” 

“Do you think it was me?” Beomgyu says. He’s fragile in this state, tiny and broken. Taehyun wants to help him pick up the pieces, but it’s a pretty slow process. He’ll endure it. 

“No, of course not,” Taehyun says. He kisses a tear. It’s salty against his lips. “I . . . I don’t know him at all, but . . . but I think that he wanted- I think he was scared. I think he has issues that . . . I mean, if you don’t like what I tell you, you can tell me to shut up, but I think he has issues that weren’t resolved and, to cope with them, he projected onto you. But no, you never did anything wrong. Don’t forget it, okay, angel?” Beomgyu nods. 

“You promise?” he says hoarsely. Taehyun nods, holding his pinky out. Beomgyu ignores it and instead tugs him forward, pressing their lips together. It’s salty with tears that Taehyun wishes only to wipe away, but he knows that he can’t truly put Beomgyu back together. He’s seen how Namjoon is with Seokjin; he loves him and he’s there as a column to lean on, but he’s come to terms with the fact that Seokjin has to put himself back together. And Taehyun tries to model his own behavior after the older Alpha’s. He hopes he’s doing a good job. 

“You are,” Beomgyu says softly. Taehyun hums and smiles at him, reaching out to brush a piece of hair behind his ear. 

“Thank you,” Taehyun says. He smiles softly. “Can I have a kiss?” 

“Mm. C’mere.” They kiss once, but one leads to two and two leads to three, so on and so forth until Taehyun’s leaning over Beomgyu, slowly making out with him. It’s nice, though, and Taehyun enjoys it. He likes when he pulls away and can see how Beomgyu’s hair fans out around his head like a halo, giving him an even more angelic appearance. His eyes are always wide and perfect, encapsulating entire galaxies that Taehyun is desperate to explore. His lips are bitten red and shiny with spit, sometimes parted, sometimes not. There are times when his tongue will dart out and Taehyun will track the movement like a hawk, or he’ll break into a dazed smile before reaching up to run his hand through Taehyun’s hair again. Taehyun doesn’t have a preference. 

“Gods, you’re still so beautiful,” he says. Beomgyu snorts. 

“You say that as if you’re surprised.” Taehyun laughs and leans down to bump their noses together. 

“I’m just jealous of how you’ve gotten more ethereal with every passing day.” Beomgyu smiles up at him and Taehyun leans down to press another kiss to his lips, pulling away with a smile. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Beomgyu murmurs, his eyelids already drooping. The funny thing is-

“Holy shit.” 

“What? What? What is it?” Beomgyu looks down at his stomach and reverently presses his hands against it. 

“There was a kick,” he whispers. Taehyun squawks and presses his ear to his stomach, trying to listen. 

And then, of course, his own child kicks him in the face. Beomgyu grunts in surprise and Taehyun stumbles away, barely managing to catch himself before falling. 

“You’re right,” he says. 

“Of course, I’m right. What, do you think my food’s rebelling?” Taehyun snorts and grabs his hands. 

“They _kicked_ ,” he says. 

“You got kicked in the face and we’re never sleeping again.” Taehyun grins and tries to kiss him, but Beomgyu bumps his face away. It draws a giggle from Taehyun as he opens his arms again and Beomgyu shuffles over, resting a pillow beneath his stomach while he attempts to wrap his legs around his Alpha. It doesn’t go as planned, and the extra pillow for between his legs is implemented. 

As foretold, Beomgyu spends a long time tossing and turning before passing out from exhaustion. Taehyun is pretty sure his eye is twitching but he doesn’t mind _that_ much, though he’s still pretty tired. However, Beomgyu is soft and warm and inviting, lulling the younger boy to sleep. 

He wakes up in the middle of the night. His nose is twitching and the smell of pure fear has pervaded the air, making his stomach twist into uncomfortable knots. He looks to his side and sees Beomgyu still as a statue and thinks about their little protocol for this. 

Slowly, Taehyun gets to his feet. He rubs his eyes as he stumbles out of the cabin and to the kitchen, mumbling to himself. The light is already on when he gets there. 

“Y-Yoongi-Hyung?” he says, his voice raspy. The Omega looks over and rubs his eyes. Taehyun straightens his spectacles and blinks a few times. “Oh, hey.” 

“Hey,” the man says. “Is he having a nightmare?” 

“Yeah. Just following ‘protocol’.” Yoongi laughs softly as he climbs up to sit on the table, blinking tiredly. Taehyun heads to the water bag and fills a cup up, then waves goodbye. 

“Good night, kid,” Yoongi says. 

“Night, Hyung.” 

When Taehyun gets back to the room, Beomgyu is whimpering quietly. He’s curled up in a ball and Taehyun places the water on his bedside table before climbing into bed. He’s already taken his glasses off and he closes his eyes, sighing. 

“Hyunnie?” Beomgyu says softly, his voice bordering on a whine. 

“Hm?” 

“Is that you?” Taehyun hums. 

“Yup,” he says groggily. “How’re you feelin’, angel?” 

“Can you cuddle me?” Taehyun hums again as he rolls over to face Beomgyu. His mate does the same before asking in the softest voice if they can spoon. 

“Big or little spoon?” Taehyun says. 

“Can I be the little spoon?” 

“Mmhmm.” Taehyun opens his arms after moving to lie against the pillows, patting his chest. Beomgyu plays with the hem of his shirt until Taehyun gets the message and pulls it over his head, chucking it somewhere. Beomgyu clambers over him and rests his head on his chest, sighing as his arms wrap around his torso. Taehyun exhales the breath he was holding, then begins to comb his fingers through Beomgyu’s hair. His breathing has slowed to a steady pace and he seems to have calmed down enough. He recognizes Taehyun and his scent, so that’s a good thing. 

“You tired, angel?” Taehyun asks after some cuddle time. Beomgyu hums and Taehyun takes it as a yes, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. 

“I love you,” Beomgyu says softly. 

[ _Can’t Help Falling in Love- Haley Reinhart Cover_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqLU4wPzDVg)

“Love you too.” Beomgyu sighs against him, and it’s shaky with the promise of a few tears. Taehyun doesn’t prod and simply continues to pet his hair, rubbing circles onto his back. It isn’t long before he feels something wet sliding down his chest and Taehyun doesn’t point it out as Beomgyu begins to cry, silent but not hiding it. Taehyun closes his eyes and begins humming, singing under his breath. 

“ _Wise men say,”_ Taehyun sings, his voice dragging over the notes, “ _only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you._ ” Beomgyu hums along, though he’s still a bit tired. “ _Oh, shall I stay? Would it be a sin? Oh, if I can’t help falling in love with you._

 _“Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.”_ Taehyun keeps combing Beomgyu’s hair with his fingers. 

“ _Take my hand,”_ he sings. “ _Take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”_ He goes back and smiles to no one in particular, his eyes drooping. 

“ _Oh, like a river flows surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.”_ Beomgyu’s breathing is evening out and his tears aren’t as constant. Taehyun feels a little burst of pride and happiness. 

“ _Oh, take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you. Oh, for I can’t help falling in love with you.”_ He smiles a little more when he finishes, his eyes closing. Beomgyu is snoring softly on his chest and Taehyun sighs, pleased with his work. He just hopes he can go to sleep again. 

When he wakes up, it’s to the pleasant feeling of Beomgyu kissing him, among other things. Taehyun can see the sun through the cracks in the shutters, so he assumes it’s morning. He fumbles around for his glasses before grabbing them and putting them on. He blinks a few times and Beomgyu grins at him. 

“Good morning, angel,” Taehyun says, his voice deeper from sleep. 

“How do you like morning surprises, Taehyunnie?” he says and he looks quite cheeky. Taehyun laughs. 

“If they’re from you, I can’t say I dislike them.” 

Needless to say, they’re late to breakfast. By the time Taehyun gets himself anad Beomgyu cleaned up (gods, it’s like he’s always partly in heat), everyone else is already in the ship’s dining room. And then, of course, there’s the obstacle of Beomgyu walking and Taehyun worrying because they are _on a boat_. 

“Good morning,” Seokjin greets when they both entire, smelling more like each other than usual with disheveled hair and red faces. Beomgyu’s blushing a lot more now. 

“Morning,” Taehyun says sheepishly as he helps Beomgyu to sit down. He takes his own seat beside him. Taehyun looks around the table and notes that Soobin and Yeonjun are, once again, late. 

“Sorry!” Yeonjun cries as they burst through the door, even more disheveled than Taehyun and Beomgyu. Soobin’s eyes are on the ground but Taehyun instinctively turns to Namjoon. The oldest Alpha is watching him with dark eyes, his expression stoic. He’s unable to mask the disappointment and disapproval, though. 

“It’s whatever,” Seokjin says. “Here, all of you, eat something.” Taehyun serves Beomgyu and then takes some food for himself, passing the various plates around. Seokjin drums his fingers on the table and Taehyun almost misses the small burst of magic that escapes from his fingers to jab Namjoon. Neither of them notice Taehyun watching as Seokjin jerks his head in Soobin’s direction.

“Good morning,” Namjoon says. 

“Good morning,” they all chorus in unison. Soobin is still trying to make himself smaller, though it’s no use. He’s the tallest at the table. Namjoon doesn’t appear to be threatened by that at all, and remains with his head held high as he sits at the head of the table. As the pack Alpha, it’s only customary. 

“How were the pups last night, Beomgyu?” Yeonjun says, attempting to kill off the tension crackling in the air. Taehyun perks up and forgets about everything else as he looks over at Beomgyu. 

“Can I tell them?” he says. Beomgyu snorts and pats his head.

“Go crazy.” Taehyun puffs his chest proudly. 

“They kicked!” he announces. Everyone turns to look at Beomgyu’s stomach and they all look ready to rush over. 

“One at a time, one at a time,” Beomgyu squawks and then they’re all scrambling over. The first person is Yeonjun and he squeals as Beomgyu lifts his shirt up and lets him press his ear to the skin. Taehyun hides a laugh behind his hand when he’s kicked in the face. Everyone seems to realize that after the ex-prince’s mistake, so they all proceed to place their hands on the bulge. 

“Is it hard to sleep?” Yeonjun says as he feeds Soobin a spoonful of breakfast. Beomgyu nods. 

“Terrible. Imagine someone is kicking the inside of your stomach but there are two and they hate you. Boom, you’ve got it.” Yeonjun winces as he takes a mouthful of food for himself. Soobin grabs a napkin and begins wiping off the older boy’s face. 

“It’s good that we’re pretty close, then,” Jimin chirps happily. Beomgyu nods. 

“Do you guys have names yet?” Yoongi says. Taehyun shakes his head. 

“Someone got distracted when I was coming up with them.” 

“You offered your own before anything else!” Beomgyu squawks indignantly. Taehyun giggles as he presses a kiss to his cheek, pulling away with a cheeky grin. 

“Oh! Name one after me!” Hueningkai says, raising his hand and waving it around. Beomgyu sticks his tongue out and Taehyun shakes his head. 

“Um, no thanks,” Beomgyu says. “One is enough.”

“There are going to be three of you!” Hueningkai yells across from his spot near Seokjin. The older sorcerer holds his hand out when Hueningkai’s fingers begin to sparkle, his food beginning to rise from the plate. 

“Ning-ah, watch yourself,” he says. Hueningkai smiles sheepishly as the food falls back onto his plate. 

“Sorry, Hyung,” he says. Seokjin ruffles his hair. 

“You need to be able to control it,” he says, though he doesn’t sound like he’s scolding the boy. It’s more like a gentle reminder than a reprimand. Taehyun watches the exchange curiously. While he possesses his own magical abilities, he’s always wondered about Seokjin and Hueningkai’s powers. He’s just curious. Seokjin saiys if Kai’s comfortable with it, that he can come and watch one of their sessions when they get back to the island. Taehyun had agreed and asked Beomgyu if he’d wanted to come. His mate had shrugged and agreed, so that’s a plan. 

“Oh, Beomgyu,” Namjoon says, “I sent the message to Jeongguk-ah. Your father’s going to get picked up sometime soon.” 

“He is?” Beomgyu says, perking up. “Appa’s coming?” Namjoon hums in confirmation and Beomgyu squeals, throwing his arms around Taehyun. Taehyun laughs as he grins, but there’s a sprinkle of fear creeping up from the depths of his mind. The more insecure part of him that worries about gaining people’s approval, especially someone important to Beomgyu as his father. He knows how close they are to each other and he knows (or he likes to say he does) that Beomgyu won’t leave him, but Taehyun’s always a little scared. They’re young but mated, the only ones on the ship. Taehyun’s greatest fear is that one day, for no reason at all, Beomgyu will wake up and realize that Taehyun’s not nearly enough for him, and he’ll walk out. Taehyun’s heard of the sickness of broken hearts, something that happens when a mate is rejected. It’s an irrational fear, a phobia if you will, but Taehyun can’t seem to shake it. 

After breakfast finishes, Beomgyu begs Taehyun to take him to the deck. They head to their cabin and grab their cloaks, then climb up to sit on one of the small benches. Seokjin and Hueningkai are standing by one another and Seokjin is creating sailors to do the work while Hueningkai tries to pay attention. Taehyun helps Beomgyu sit down and then snuggles close to him, reaching out to rub his stomach. 

“Are you excited?” he says. Beomgyu hums. 

“Apprehensive,” he says. “I’m very apprehensive.” Taehyun tilts his head as he stands up and moves to stand behind his mate, beginning to massage his shoulders. Beomgyu begins to melt. 

“Mind telling me why?” Taehyun asks. Beomgyu hums again. 

“He and I fought a lot.” Taehyun raises an eyebrow. 

“I don’t- did you tell me that? I don’t remember.”

“You- oh, yeah, right there.” 

“Gods, you’ve got a bunch of rocks here. Why?” 

“Ask the kids.” Taehyun laughs but Beomgyu gasps. He rests his hand on his stomach and Taehyun stops his massage to move so they’re facing each other. 

“Hey, you okay?” he says. Beomgyu nods. 

“They don’t like getting blamed for my problems,” Beomgyu mumbles. Taehyun frowns and begins rubbing his stomach. 

“Yah, you brats,” he says, “you calm down now. We’re busy talking about your halabeoji. And we’re out on a boat. So settle down, yeah?” Beomgyu laughs and reaches out to ruffle Taehyun’s hair. 

“It’s getting longer,” he says, taking a strand between his fingers and examining it. Taehyun hums and reaches out to run his fingers through his hair, frowning. 

“You don’t like it?” he says, tilting his head. Beomgyu shakes his head. 

“No, I love it! I love you! It’s great!” Taehyun laughs and places his hands on Beomgyu’s knees, pushing them apart. But Beomgyu’s shaking his head and Taehyun backs off. 

“Can I give you a massage?” he says. Beomgyu shakes his head again. Taehyun nods. “Do you wanna go back to the cabin? Or do you wanna go below deck?” 

“I wanna take a nap,” he says. Taehyun nods again and holds his arm out. Beomgyu takes it and they walk down to their cabin. 

“Can I lie down with you?” Taehyun says softly. Beomgyu pats the space in the nest, though there’s a distance between them. Taehyun faces away from him and sighs, then he puts his glasses on the bedside table. It isn’t long before he succumbs to his exhaustion and falls asleep. 

When he wakes up, it’s because Beomgyu’s conversation in his dream got too loud. Taehyun rubs his eyes and notes how the lights are out as he fumbles for his glasses. He sits up and the blankets fall away. Beomgyu is still mumbling to himself and Taehyun smiles lazily, leaning down to kiss his cheek. 

“Mm, love you too, Taehyunnie,” he says. Taehyun withholds his laughter as he gets up and stretches, yawning. He’s pretty sure lunch is soon, so he’s planning on waking Beomgyu up soon. 

Deciding to head to the kitchen to make sure he’s right, Taehyun grabs his slippers and glasses and pads out. He finds Seokjin bustling around the kitchen, talking to himself as he cooks. 

“Should I wake up Beomgyu?” Taehyun says loudly. Seokjin looks over his shoulder and nods, wiping his hands on his apron. Taehyun shuffles over. 

“What’s for lunch?” he says. 

“The usual. Can you make sure that Soobin and Yeonjun both wash up beforehand? I doubt I need to tell you this, but make sure they know how they stink. Make sure whoever’s up there bathes, yeah?” 

“Mm.” Taehyun turns around and walks up the stairs, opening the hatch as he climbs out. The sun is pretty bright and the waters are calm, so he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised when he sees Yeonjun and Soobin chatting in the sun. They’re both covered in a shining layer of sweat, swords cast aside. 

“Hey, it’s time for lunch!” Taehyun says, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Jin-Hyung says you guys have to take baths first, though!” 

“Did he really?” Soobin says. He sticks his tongue out. “Ugh.” Yeonjun snorts and shoves him. 

“We smell awful,” he says. Taehyun nods and pinches his nostrils, then the thought of Beomgyu waking up alone occurs, and he’s running downstairs. He opens the door and finds his mate to be padding around the room, whining quietly in the back of his throat. 

“Hey, angel, it’s me,” he says softly. Beomgyu looks over and Taehyun opens his arms. Beomgyu rushes over and his arms wrap around the younger boy. Taehyun crouches down and slides one arm under Beomgyu’s thighs while resting the other on his side, hoisting him into the air. Beomgyu squeaks as Taehyun shuffles over to the bed, gently laying him down and climbing over him. 

“Is this okay?” he asks.

“Please.” Taehyun nods and then carefully rests as much of his weight on Beomgyu as he can without hurting the Omega, though it’s even more difficult because of the baby. The first time he remembers doing this was during Beomgyu’s heat, when he was winding down. Taehyun had accidentally rolled on top of him while Beomgyu was shaking uncontrollably, and the action had stopped it. They experimented with it when Beomgyu started having little moments, and it’s a pretty good solution. 

“Lunch is soon, in case you want to go now,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu swallows hard and nods. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Beomgyu sighs shakily and Taehyun leans down to rest his face in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. His scent’s beginning to calm down and it relieves Taehyun to some extent. 

“Do you wanna go eat?”

“Yes, please.” Taehyun smiles as he helps his mate to his feet and then walks down the halls and to the kitchen. He places his hand on the small of Beomgyu’s back and begins drawing little designs onto the space, humming to himself. As per usual, he helps Beomgyu into a seat and takes the space beside him. The others come to the table and sit down until it’s full. 

“Thanks, Jin-Hyung,” Soobin says. 

“Thank you.” 

“Thanks for lunch.” 

“Uh-huh.”

“Thanks.” 

“Thank you,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu bows his head in thanks and Namjoon smiles at his boyfriend. Taehyun finds Beomgyu’s hand resting on his and he moves so their fingers can interlace. His thumb rubs small circles onto the skin, the action subconscious and something he’s simply grown to do to calm his mate. 

“Gyu-yah, give me your plate,” Seokjin says, snapping his fingers and holding out his free hand. Beomgyu shakes his head. 

“No, no, it’s fine,” he says. “I’m not very hungry.” Taehyun looks at him worriedly. Beomgyu shakes his head again. It worries him, especially now. Taehyun knows that Beomgyu’s body simply isn’t used to eating as much as he needs and that the pressure of the twins is making it harder. He’s seen enough of the barf to know how bad it can get. Beomgyu’s gotten better, but he still has bad days. 

“You have to eat, okay?” Yoongi says. He places a hand on Beomgyu’s and smiles softly. “C’mon, Beomgyu, just a little bit of rice? You need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients; the pregnancy is really sudden and your body might not have had time to adjust to the sudden increase in food. You need to help regulate it, okay?” 

Beomgyu looks down at his plate before sighing and handing it to Seokjin. The oldest sends his brother a grateful look but Yoongi’s smiling softly at Beomgyu. Taehyun mouths a ‘thank you’ and Yoongi nods at him. Seokjin hands Beomgyu his plate and he begins to pick the food apart, though Taehyun notices how he begins wolfing it down after a few bites. He takes his own plate back and begins to help pass the dishes around, Hueningkai chatting animatedly. Beomgyu, Jimin, Yeonjun, and Seokjin all join in, holding a conversation loud enough to cover for the entire table. Taehyun watches Beomgyu as he attempts to eat and talk, his eyes wide. He rests his head on his shoulder and sighs, continuing to hold his hand. 

“Hyun-ah? Did you hear me?” Beomgyu says. 

“Hm? Oh, no, sorry. What was it?” Taehyun says, sitting up. Beomgyu grins. 

“We’ll be there by tomorrow!” Taehyun’s eyes grow wide. 

“We will? Inura? You’re not joking, are you? Hyung, he isn’t joking, right?” Taehyun says, turning to Namjoon. The man laughs and shakes his head. 

“No. I wouldn’t do that to you guys, trust me,” he says. Taehyun squeals and Beomgyu laughs, shaking his head. 

“Taehyun-ah, are you really that excited?” 

The prince nods eagerly. “Of course! I’ve never been off of the mainland!” 

“Me too!” Yoongi says. 

“Me three!” Taehyun laughs as he nuzzles Beomgyu. He looks at Seokjin and tilts his head. 

“Jin-Hyung,” he says, “you’ve-”

“Yeah, once,” Seokjin says. He looks at Yoongi and then looks away. “It’s, um, it’s where your mom comes from.” 

The mood seems to sully. Yoongi looks at his food, shifting in his seat. 

“Ah, yeah. Her.” Seokjin nods. The only sound is the clattering of their utensils and someone requesting a dish is passed to them. 

Later, while Beomgyu explores their mini library, Taehyun seeks Soobin out. He finds him standing on deck, alone. 

“Hey,” he calls over the wind. Soobin turns around and his face breaks into a weak smile. Taehyun makes his way over, pulling his cloak closer to his body. 

“What’re you doing here?” Taehyun shrugs. 

“Wanted to see how you were feeling. Joon-Hyung’s been-”

“-Harsh? Yeah, I know.” Soobin sighs, leaning forward. “Because of Jeongguk-Hyung, I’m going to, like, my first ‘official’ council. He really means that I can’t sit back and watch. I mean, if I’m to become emperor . . .” 

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Taehyun says. Soobin shrugs, his eyes still trained on the waters that lap against the ship. “You’re lucky Yeonjun-Hyung is there. He really thinks you should do it.” 

“He was supposed to,” Soobin says suddenly. Taehyun frowns and tilts his head. 

“What do you mean?” 

“He was going to become emperor, or, I mean, if you’re more old-fashioned, empress. Namjoon-Hyung, I don’t think he meant for me to find out, but I overheard him discussing it a few years ago. And, I mean, I don’t know if he told you this, but Joon-Hyung asked Yeonjun to take over when he got him in. Which, like, it’s whatever, right? I’ve never- I don’t-” Soobin sniffles and wipes his eyes. Taehyun watches him worriedly. 

“Just because you don’t want something doesn’t mean it hurts any less when you’re replaced,” he says. Soobin hums as he shakes his head. 

“Jin-Hyung has pointed out that the people are more likely to follow an Alpha because of the prejudices, and that other rulers will take me more seriously. But, honestly, I can’t see myself . . . I mean, I guess I could become emperor? I’ve been training for it my entire life, so why couldn’t I? But I’m worried that I’ll mess up-”

“Hey, you won’t mess up,” Taehyun says. “You’ll have Hyungs, and Kai, and me, and Gyu, and the kids.” Soobin snorts. 

“It’s so weird to hear you say things like that.” 

“Like what? ‘The kids?’”

The other Alpha nods. “Yeah. I mean, I’m older than you by a year, yet you- I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but you have so much figured out already. You’re mated and expecting-”

“Oh my gods, Hyung, it was an _accident_ ,” Taehyun groans. “While I’m ecstatic at the thought of being a father, Gyu and I weren’t and maybe we still aren’t totally ready for kids. But hell, it’s a chance I’m willing to take. And we’ve discussed it, but we don’t have it figured out. Parenting isn’t something they teach you about in books.” 

“Well, at least we can look at our own parents to know what _not_ to do,” Soobin says, though his words seem guarded. Taehyun raises an eyebrow. 

“How well did you know your parents?” he says. Soobin shrugs. 

“I’ve- Namjoon-Hyung’s taken care of me for the majority of my life. But my parents were some distant figures in my life and I never- I mean, I wouldn’t say I knew them any more than you.”

“You weren’t hit, were you?” 

“No,” Soobin says, shaking his head. “While they were willing to send me away, hitting me would’ve warranted death. They were never around to do so, anyway.” Taehyun nods. He’s been hit once or twice for spacing out or being more interested in the tutoring sessions than things like sword fighting. And then, of course, there’s the night he and Beomgyu were discovered and everything that came after. He has the scars on his back to prove it. 

“How’s Beomgyu doing?” Soobin says, changing the subject. Taehyun shrugs and moves to lean against the ship, the salt spray kicking up so the scent rushes into his lungs. 

“He’s in the library,” he says. “He’s excited to see his dad, I guess.” 

“You aren’t?” Taehyun shrugs. 

“I mean, I am, but . . . like, I want the best for him, you know? And I know he and his dad didn’t end on a good foot and that his dad had him when he was, like, sixteen, and that they fought because he got pregnant. He has a lot of nightmares about it.” 

“Among other things?” 

“Among other things.” Taehyun sighs. “I dunno, I just hope he’s okay. I want him to be okay.” Soobin smiles at him and ruffles his hair. Taehyun pouts at the quiet insult to his height. 

“You’re a good mate,” he says. “Look, I think that, in a situation like this, all you need to do is be there as a support for him to fall back on. Things will work themselves out in the end, okay?” Taehyun nods. 

“You know, Hyung,” he says, “I think you’re better at this emperor thing than you give yourself credit for.” 

And with that, Taehyun walks away. 

[ _HOME_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghJURdZKq3I)

They arrive in Inura a little after the sun rises. They’re all standing on the deck, shivering like there’s no tomorrow, bags around them. Beomgyu is the first to see the port due to his advanced vision (why couldn’t Taehyun have been blessed with that?) and he stares yelling happily. When it does come into Taehyun’s line of sight, he jumps up and down and waves at the crowd waiting for them. Soobin, Yeonjun, Hueningkai, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Jimin all wave and yell excitedly, though Seokjin remains empty-faced. Yoongi is waving shyly while Namjoon smiles and nods his head in greeting. He’s all decked out in his cloak and skull, though his smile kind of dampens the effect. 

Taehyun, because they’re finally done with the boat, suddenly picks Beomgyu up. He carries him around and everyone else on the boat starts laughing at them, but then the movement of the boat gets to be a little too much, so Beomgyu’s put down. They arrive at the port and Seokjin snaps his fingers, the ropes coming undone and a bridge coming down for them to walk. Namjoon steps aside so Beomgyu and Taehyun can go first. The prince lowers his head as he helps his mate down, one hand resting on the small of his back while the other holds his hand. Namjoon comes after them, then Seokjin. Taehyun notices how the ex-prince holds his head high, his dark eyes daring the crowd to speak against him as he holds Namjoon by the arm. Hueningkai comes, then Yoongi, then Jimin, until Soobin and Yeonjun are the only ones left. 

The crowd waiting for them erupts. Taehyun jumps, surprised, when they all cheer and scream for the two princes. Soobin smiles weakly as he bows and waves, Yeonjun following his example. While that’s happening, Taehyun turns to see Seokjin using magic to bring all of their things over. When the people who came to help them with their bags see, they grow tentative about helping. Seokjin bares his fangs and then the people are picking them up, walking over. 

“Good to see you, Namjoon!” someone says. There’s a Beta parting the crowd and Namjoon tense, but only for a moment. 

“I could say the same for you, Sung-Ho-ssi.” His hand finds Seokjin’s. “Have you reserved the houses? I’d like you to show Beomgyu and Taehyun where they’ll be staying.” Sung-Ho nods as he walks over to the couple. Taehyun bites the inside of his cheek to keep from growling as he rests a protective hand on Beomgyu’s hip. He can feel his lips itching to pull into a snarl to warn this man away from his mate, though it wouldn’t be the best course of action. 

The village is pretty at least. Taehyun stares at the small cottages and shops lining the streets with wide eyes, dodging out of the way when carriages come down the cobbled roads. He doesn’t notice, or at least he pretends not to, the people whispering about them as they pass. His hand wanders to Beomgyu’s and he laces their fingers together.

“Here you go,” Sung-Ho says, stepping aside. Taehyun nods his thanks and takes the key, unlocking the door and letting Beomgyu in. They take off their shoes and step back to look around the small cottage. There’s a small kitchen with a small stove and sink, the shelves loaded with dishes. Beside it is a large closet-like compartment that Taehyun opens and is attacked by a burst of cold air. There are some basic food items, like cuts of meat, milk, eggs, and even a few vegetables. The table is positioned near a window with four chairs and a small vase full of vibrant flowers. Beomgyu pokes his head in and then waddles out, Taehyun following him into the living room. There’s a fireplace and three couches with plush pillows. A bookcase sits against the wall and Taehyun’s eyes widen at the prospect of, well, _books_. Beomgyu looks even more shocked, as he’s probably only seen one or two books in his life. Scrolls are cheaper. 

“Woah,” he says. Taehyun pokes around and finds several crystals sitting on the mantel and coffee table. There are also glass globes or containers hanging from the ceiling, holding blossoming flowers within. Beomgyu grabs Taehyun’s hand and then leads him up the stairs, poking into the upstairs. There are four bedrooms, one of them a nursery. They head into the master bedroom first, opening the door and revealing where they’ll sleep. 

Inside is a large, four-poster bed that’s pressed against the far wall. It’s already got sheets and there’s a dresser nearby, along with a vanity. From the ceiling, a pretty arrangement of lanterns hang, glowing softly. There’s an armchair in the corner and a bathroom connected to the bedroom. Taehyun goes in and finds a stone bathtub with a sink and towels. Beomgyu looks inside and his eyes grow even wider. 

“Do you wanna keep exploring?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu nods. They walk out and enter the nursery. There’s one cradle but Taehyun is sure they can get another one. A rocking chair is by the window and Taehyun can see lavender among other herbs and flowers hanging from the ceiling. There are toys in the large chest, a bookshelf near the window. A soft, woven rug rests on the ground and their feet sink into it, the stray strands of string getting between their toes. 

“It’s beautiful,” Beomgyu says softly. Taehyun grins at him. 

“It is.” 

“Shall we continue?” Taehyun nods and then they head to one of the other bedrooms, finding a single bed pressed to the wall. There’s a desk and a bookshelf, a trunk for clothes at the foot of the bed. Another rug is on the ground and there’s a window from which sunlight streams in, the lanterns unlit. The couple leaves and goes into the next bedroom, one that has a bed with a bookshelf above it and curtains beside it. There’s a window, too, and a desk. The clothes, Taehyun finds, are to be kept beneath the bed. 

The third bedroom has a bed against the wall, though it’s still a twin size. There’s a bookshelf next to the dresser, which is opposite to the bed. There’s a window above the dresser and a plush chair on the other side. A desk sits under a window near the door with a small vase full of pink flowers on it. Taehyun’s guessing that there are at least one or two bathrooms for the other bedrooms and their residents. 

“I think there’s a study downstairs too,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun nods. 

“Does this mean we have a house?” 

“I think it means we have a house.” 

Taehyun squeals. Beomgyu snorts and tugs him forward, letting their lips hover over each other. And then Taehyun leans forward and they’re kissing. Taehyun grins and Beomgyu combs his fingers through his hair. He doesn’t realize he’s backing him into a wall until Beomgyu’s scrabbling up Taehyun, attempting to wrap his legs around his middle. Of course, because of his four-months-pregnant-with-twins stomach, it’s pretty hard. Taehyun ends up pulling away and picking him up bridal style, then running two steps before deciding it’s easier to walk. Beomgyu snorts and begins to kiss down his jaw, Taehyun’s knees shaking as he carries his angel into the bedroom. 

“Y- ah, your angel?” Beomgyu says as Taehyun lays him on the bed and begins to suck on his neck. 

“Hm?” 

“Your angel? Is that what I am?” Taehyun snorts and rests his weight on his arm as he stares down at his angel. 

“Well, duh,” he says, leaning down to kiss him. “I call you angel, so why wouldn’t I call you mine? Just to specify.” Beomgyu snorts as Taehyun helps him move up on the bed. 

“So, the first thing we’re doing on our new bed is go for a roll in the sheets? Make love? Breed? The birds and the bees? Go down on each other? Go a’fuck-”

“Oh my gods, shut up,” Taehyun says as he pulls his shirt off. He pushes his hair back from his face. “First of all, there’s no way we can ‘breed’ ‘cause you’re already pregnant-”

“Wait, really?”

“Really. And, second, you’re killing the mood.” Beomgyu smirks and wiggles his eyebrows as Taehyun helps him out of his shirt. He tugs Taehyun closer and then hooks his fingers under his pants, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. 

“Am I _really_ , though?” he whispers huskily. Taehyun groans. 

“Oh my gods, I hate you.” Beomgyu sits back and laughs as Taehyun struggles to get out of his pants. 

“What? Why? I was trying to revive the ‘mood’!” 

“You don’t even have to try,” Taehyun breathes as he clambers forward, settling between Beomgyu’s legs. His hands find Beomgyu’s hips and stroke the skin there as Beomgyu loops his arms around his neck, tilting his head back and baring his neck. Taehyun begins kissing a path down from under his ear, moving till he reaches Beomgyu’s collarbone.

“Am- oh- am I that sexy?” Taehyun pulls back and laughs breathily. 

“Um, uh, yeah?” Taehyun laughs again as he shakes his head. Beomgyu grunts and tries to tug him up so they can kiss, pressing his lips to Taehyun’s. 

“You’re so sweet,” he says. Taehyun hmphs. 

“Is that your best compliment? Really?” 

His angel laughs.

“But you are!” Taehyun groans and leans forward, continuing to make out with Beomgyu. He reaches for his shirt and pulls away, gasping for air, then pulls the offending material off. Now, Beomgyu’s wearing his pants while Taehyun has only his underwear, and he’s taken to crawling closer to attempt and soothe the fire in his belly. Beomgyu squeaks in surprise but Taehyun’s already beginning to mouth at his neck, his fingers sliding beneath his pants. 

“Can I take these off?” Taehyun says breathlessly, his voice a husky whisper. Beomgyu nods and licks his lips as Taehyun pulls his pants off, chucking them off. He nuzzles Beomgyu’s distended stomach, reaching out to massage his thighs. Beomgyu pants as he watches him, resting his weight on his arms. His brown eyes are wide and lust-dazed, his lips red from abuse. They’ve been bitten, too, and Taehyun smirks a little at that. A healthy flush covers his body, his black hair tangled. Taehyun moves back until he’s resting on his stomach in between Beomgyu’s legs, then he turns to nuzzle the inside of his thigh. It earns him another surprised squeak. He looks up through his eyelashes and bats his eyes, smiling ‘innocently’. 

“Oh, just get on with it,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun laughs, but obeys. Gods, he’s so whipped. 

By the time they finish, Taehyun is passed out in bed beside Beomgyu. His Omega’s thighs have fingerprint-shaped bruises on his thighs and hips, not to mention the assorted hickeys. His eyes are fluttering and he’s clearly still in that floaty, post-sex headspace. 

“Hey, angel, we’ve gotta take a bath,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu hums and makes no move to get up. “Angel, I have to wash the sheets.” Beomgyu hums again, slowly rolling over to face Taehyun. 

“Do we have to?” he says, his voice hoarse from their previous activities. “I’m kinda tired.” Taehyun laughs. 

“You didn’t even do anything,” he says as he gets up. Beomgyu snorts and sits up. 

“Um, excuse you, I did plenty.” Taehyun looks over at him as he opens the bathroom door and draws a bath. 

“Uh-huh. Like what?” Beomgyu huffs, using the blanket to cover himself. 

“I screamed your name.” Taehyun laughs. 

“Did you now?” 

“Do you not believe me?” 

“Oh, no, I do. I was the one making you do it.” Beomgyu laughs as he turns a bright red, shaking his head. 

“At least help me to the bathroom. I don’t think I can walk after that. Gods, you really went to town, didn’t you?” Taehyun giggles as he walks over, picking Beomgyu up. He heads into the bathroom and slowly eases him into the water. Strangely enough, large, blossoming, magenta peonies float across the surface like some new type of water lily. The air smells sweet and Taehyun climbs into the water, sighing. Beomgyu snorts and Taehyun reaches around to grab the shampoo. 

“Ugh, your hair smells like seawater,” he says. Beomgyu laughs and leans against him, sighing. “Duck under the water?” Beomgyu’s already ahead of him and he surfaces, gasping for air, pushing his wet hair back from his forehead. Taehyun laughs as he pours some of the shampoo into his hand and begins to massage it into his mate’s hair, humming the melody of a song he can’t remember. 

“You’re so good at this,” Beomgyu murmurs. Taehyun laughs. 

“I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years,” he says. “Rinse.” Beomgyu pinches his nose and ducks under the water, re-surfacing with a gasp. Taehyun shakes his head as he wets his own messy locks and then begins to rub the soap in. Beomgyu doesn’t seem to notice as he pokes his toes out of the water and wiggles them, disrupting the path of a peony and a few petals. 

“Why the flowers?” he says. Taehyun hums in question. 

“What do you- oh, they appeared here. I didn’t put them in. They’re nice, though.” Beomgyu hums happily, smiling. 

“Yeah. It makes me feel really pampered.” Taehyun scoffs and then goes under, surfacing and flicking his hair back. 

“As if you aren’t already?” he says, rubbing his eyes. Ah, shit, now he can’t see anything. Beomgyu notices and laughs, moving around so they’re facing each other. 

“No. I just feel even more pampered when I take baths like this.” Taehyun laughs. 

“Isn’t this the first time you’ve taken a bath like this?” Beomgyu hums in agreement but he’s reaching for one of the blossoms that’s more whole than the others, and Taehyun doesn’t see what he’s doing until there’s a large magenta blob in the corner of his eye. 

“Wow,” he says when Beomgyu laughs, pushing his hair back. 

“You’re cute, yeah? The prettiest boy.” Taehyun laughs. 

“Really?” 

“Really. Now, who’s the prettiest boy in the world?” 

Taehyun snorts and rolls his eyes. “Oh my gods, don’t make me do this.” 

Beomgyu, from what Taehyun can see with his blurred vision, pouts and crosses his arms. “Who’s the prettiest boy?” 

_Well, goodbye, pride._ Taehyun sighs. 

“I am,” he says. And, well, maybe losing his pride isn’t such a bad thing because Beomgyu’s grinning, glowing more than the sun itself. Taehyun allows himself a fond smile as Beomgyu claps his hands. The water splashes in his face and he shakes it away, standing up. He fumbles around as he helps Beomgyu to his feet and they slowly leave the bathroom. 

“I found your glasses!” Beomgyu says. Taehyun’s eyes feel like they’re going to be stuck in a squinting position forever as he feels his way over, vision zeroing in on the shiny bit of gold and what he hopes are his lenses in Beomgyu’s hand. Laughing, the older boy balances them on Taehyun’s nose and smiles. 

“There,” he says, still smiling. His eyes sparkle fondly and Taehyun hugs him, sighing. 

“I love you.” He can feel the laughter ring through Beomgyu’s body. 

“I love you too.” Taehyun makes his sound again, sighing as Beomgyu rubs his back. 

“What do you think the others are doing?” he says. Beomgyu shrugs. 

“Dunno. Wanna go check on them?” Taehyun nods. The clothes from the dresser are well-tailored and it’s a pleasant surprise. Beomgyu’s chosen a dress that’s loose and long, made of some sort of material that looks like it’s the product of some animal. Taehyun likes it, though he likes Beomgyu no matter what he wears. Or what he doesn’t. 

“Are you ready to go?” Taehyun says, grabbing one of the cloaks. It’s lined with fur. 

“Mmhmm.” Taehyun opens the door and steps out, looking around. The late-October chill isn’t too bad, but Taehyun’s pretty sure it’s colder than usual. He assumes that the biggest house belongs to Namjoon and they begin walking toward it, stopping on the doorstep. 

“Hyung?” Beomgyu calls, knocking on the door. There’s a bark and Taehyun can vaguely understand the call of ‘ _Intruder!’_ from inside. He and Beomgyu look at one another as the door opens. 

“Oh, hey!” Seokjin says. He steps aside and lets them in. “How’ve you settled in? Do you like it?” 

“Yeah, it’s great, Hyung,” Taehyun says, bowing his head as he takes off his shoes and rests his cloak on the hanger. A large, fluffy, white dog rushes over, tail wagging. It’s very excited, as its internal, non-stop train of thought and the constant wagging of its tail show. 

“Oh, this is Monnie,” Seokjin says. “Joon-ah says he’s something called a ‘samoyed’.” Beomgyu nods as does Taehyun, both of them pretending to know what that means. 

Looking around, Taehyun notes that the house is much more decorated than their own. There are portraits lining the walls among other things such as pressed flowers and strange trinkets. A flowering vine seems to wind around the area, blossoms of all different colors growing along it. There’s a fireplace that crackles and pops, though the smell of smoke is drowned out by something sweet and calming. Taehyun peeks into the living room and sees a large shelf full of strange vials with liquids of all different varieties inside. Some glow, some are transparent, some are murky, and some have more than just liquid inside. Taehyun decides not to ask, especially when he notices the dragon skull hanging above the mantle. It’s beautiful, at least.

“Come sit down, will you? The council’s to start soon- would you like to go?” 

“I don’t care, what about you?” Taehyun says, turning to Beomgyu. 

“Sure, why not?” he says. Seokjin smiles. 

“Namjoon-ah! Are you finished getting ready?” he yells. Taehyun notices, then, that the eldest is wearing a white and blue [ dress ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/34973334585377876/). The sleeves seem to encompass his hands and a pearl necklace hangs on his collarbone. He looks no different from the imperial prince Taehyun met at the ball, though there’s no crown and he seems a lot happier. 

Namjoon comes down, dressed just as well as Seokjin. He’s [ wearing ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/810225789202386925/) a white shirt with sleeves tightening around his wrists and a silver middle that’s designed intricately, a leather belt looped around his waist. His fingers shine with an assortment of rings and he has on a black jacket. Seokjin smiles at him and takes his arm, grabbing his cloak as Taehyun and Beomgyu follow. He notices that the townspeople are appearing, watching the two couples. Yoongi and Jimin join them, both dressed formally. Hueningkai comes as well, though Yeonjun and Soobin have yet to appear.

There’s a large building atop a hill, and Taehyun finds this is where they’re going, much to his dislike. Beomgyu leans on him as they climb up, grumbling and cursing under his breath. Taehyun knows he’s embarrassed and maybe even a little ashamed, though he tries to shield Beomgyu from those feelings. 

They reach the building and two guards open the doors. Taehyun is surprised to see- or, well, smell the scent of an Omega. He looks around with wide eyes as Namjoon and Seokjin lead them to a large room. 

Inside is a huge, round table with a giant map of the mainland and far islands. Candles float around the room though they don’t give off any smoke or odors. There’s a large fireplace in the back of the room and a bearskin rug beside it, rocking chairs placed around. However, the space is empty. Near the head of the table (there are two more intricately designed chairs up there) Soobin sits to the left and Yeonjun is beside him. They, among everyone else sitting at the table, stand up when Namjoon and Seokjin enter. Alpha and Omega take their seats and Taehyun helps Beomgyu down, his mate huffing in annoyance. Yoongi sits beside Seokjin with Jimin nearby, though only after Namjoon and Seokjin have sat down.

“Good evening, sir,” one of the people sitting at the table says. Taehyun looks over at the man, tilting his head. Namjoon nods, turning to Soobin. 

“Did it start already?” he says. 

“We discussed the journey Jeongguk-Hyung would go through when retrieving the other princes and Dae-Jung-ssi,” Soobin says, all business. Yeonjun seems to puff his chest proudly as Soobin goes on to explain that there are supply bags scattered around with maps that will only respond to Seokjin’s brothers and Jeongguk, and those they trust. 

“We unfortunately have no control over the Deep Forest, though,” Soobin says, frowning as he gestures at the area on the map. “As expected, the emperor has mostly avoided the place except for a few areas; the forest, luckily for us, seems to affect the soldiers in a strange way that is yet to be explained. However, without Hyung to keep them away, there’s a chance that they’ll begin to explore.” 

Namjoon hums, lacing his fingers together. Seokjin opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted. 

“Sir, I propose that we send more people over to the mainland to assist,” the man says. Seokjin’s jaw clenches and his eyes narrow. Taehyun turns to look at Namjoon, expecting and waiting for him to tell the man to apologize to Seokjin, yet he remains silent. Seokjin’s jaw remains clenched and Taehyun can see Hueningkai’s eyes darting constantly to his teacher’s hands. Namjoon doesn’t speak often but he looks often at Soobin to make decisions, his expression blank. Seokjin manages to interject a few very good ideas, but most are ignored. And then, as if to rub it in his face, someone else brings up the exact same thing and then everyone agrees. The meeting goes on like this and, in Taehyun’s opinion, they don’t really go anywhere. When it finally ends, Beomgyu is grumbling under his breath about never wanting to go to one of these ‘councils’ again. 

“Would you like a tour around the village?” Soobin says. It’s clear that he’s trying to lighten the mood. “It’s quite pretty, though I prefer it in the spring. You should ask Namjoon-Hyung about his greenhouse.” 

“That sounds great, Soobinnie,” Yeonjun says, taking the Alpha’s arm. “Are you going to show us around?” Taehyun snorts at the red flush that travels up from Soobin’s neck to his face as he looks away, nodding. Beomgyu laughs. 

“Hyungs, are you coming?” he says, looking over his shoulder at Yoongi and Jimin. Hueningkai is talking quietly with Seokjin and Namjoon. 

“Where are we going?” Yoongi says. 

“A tour!” Yeonjun says. Yoongi shrugs. 

“I’ll tag along. Jimin-ah, are you coming?” Jimin hums and nods, limping along. Taehyun’s eyes dart to his left ankle, then to his face. It’s clear he doesn’t enjoy his need to use a cane or to lean on Yoongi as he walks. 

“Are you okay, Hyung?” he says, moving back to stand nearby. Jimin shrugs. 

“Just not used to the ankle,” he says. He looks at a waddling Beomgyu. “Though, I doubt that it’s anything compared to Beomgyu.” Taehyun laughs and the Omega looks over, narrowing his eyes. Taehyun holds his hands up in surrender as he walks over. 

“We were just talking about your cute little waddle,” he says. Beomgyu snorts and flicks his forehead. 

“I’m like a giant- um, what are they called? Those black and white birds? They waddle and they’re fat?”

“A penguin?” Yoongi says. Beomgyu snaps his fingers and nods. 

“A penguin! Yeah, a penguin. I’m like a penguin.” 

“A very cute penguin,” Taehyun says, nodding to himself. Beomgyu laughs as he rubs his stomach, making a face at a presumed kick. 

“Taehyun-ah,” he whines, “tell your spawn to calm down.” 

“Why me?” 

“Because they like you more!” Taehyun snorts and gets down on his knees, resting his face against Beomgyu’s stomach. 

“Calm down, spawn,” he says. And then, as Beomgyu predicted, the kicking stops. Taehyun stands up and notices how Yoongi, Jimin, Soobin, and Yeonjun are all laughing. Even Beomgyu’s hiding a few giggles behind his hand. 

“What?” he says. Beomgyu smiles and kisses his cheek, snuggling close. 

“You’re so cute,” he says. “Who’s the cutest boy in the entire world?” 

“I am,” Taehyun says, his eyes locked on the ground. Oh, gods, he can’t stand to look at his friends right now. 

“Let’s get on- oh my gods, I _can’t_ ,” Soobin says as he doubles over laughing. Taehyun crosses his arms and hmphs, his cheeks burning. Beomgyu smiles at him. 

“Thank you,” he says. Taehyun snorts and leans his head on his shoulder, clinging to his arm. Soobin finally calms down and begins to lead them through the town, gesturing at buildings and naming them. Some of the descriptions are pretty helpful, but there are also the ones that are simply “And that’s where everyone lives,” or “I like going there,” and Jimin usually ends up stepping in. 

“Oh, and here’s the training area!” Soobin says, perking up. “Jin-Hyung and Huening are probably here. Wanna go- oh, wait, hold on.” Soobin frowns, walking toward a sign on the door. He skims it before giving them a thumbs-up. “Yup! We can go in! But, um, sometimes it’ll say that you can’t, so make sure to look at the sign, okay?” Taehyun tilts his head before remembering Hueningkai and his adamanacy about keeping everyone out of his tent when he was healing both Jimin and Yoongi. Taehyun wonders if the lack of magic in Soobin’s blood could affect his tolerancy. Probably, though he rather wouldn’t find out. 

“Hyung?” Soobin calls, opening the door and poking his head inside. Something explodes and Taehyun winces, making a face. 

“Ah, Soobin!” Seokjin says. He pokes his head out and looks at the crowd before him. Despite the explosion, Seokjin seems like he was just out for lunch or something. His makeup from earlier is as impeccable as before, but he’s changed into a loose shirt and pants. “Come in, come in!” 

Their little group files inside and Taehyun is immediately hit with how _big_ the place is. A huge, open room that’s shaped like an arena, complete with a box for special guests. There are weapons resting on the walls and on benches, but the most noticeable thing is the smoking crater on the ground. Hueningkai stands in the middle of it, much worse for wear. His black hair is sticking out and covered in soot, though it isn’t very different from the rest of him. His eyes are wide and his hands are beginning to dim. 

“Oh, hi!” he says, waving at them. 

“Is that a good thing?” Yoongi says. Hueningkai shrugs. 

“Dunno! But what’re you guys doing here?”

“We’re on a tour,” Taehyun says. Hueningkai nods. 

“Huh. Having fun?” 

“It’s really pretty,” Beomgyu says. He looks around. “Could I sit down somewhere, though?” 

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Seokjin says. He holds his hand up to snap his fingers before looking at Hueningkai. The Beta’s face pales. 

“Ning-ah,” Seokjin says, smiling, “could you summon the chair?” 

“Hyung, I’m going to tell you now, there’s a 10% chance that this won’t end well.” 

“He means ‘stand back’,” Seokjin says. Everyone shuffles away as Hueningkai focuses on the spot Beomgyu was standing on before snapping his fingers. A wooden chair appears, sparkles fluttering in the air around it. He looks at Seokjin with wide eyes. 

“I did it!” he says. Seokjin laughs and reaches up to ruffle his hair. 

“Um, duh,” he says. “I wouldn’t make you try anything I doubted.” Beomgyu moves to sit down, letting out a pleased sigh. 

“How far along are you?” Yeonjun says. “I wanna know when me an’ Soobinnie become uncles.” 

“Well . . . um, uh, we can’t be for sure when it happened ‘cause we were goin’ at it like rabbits. It was during my heat, just so you know, and it was mid-July. What day was your wedding, Yeonjun-Hyung?”

“The eighteenth.” 

“Yeah, so . . . three days before then was when it ended? So sometime around then. So, um, it’s late October, right?”

“Yeah.” 

“Then around four months, I guess. Something like that,” Beomgyu says. He sighs as he looks down at his stomach. “Still, like, six months. Right? Is there a doctor? There’s a doctor I can talk to, right?” 

“Yah, you didn’t show him the doctor first?” Seokjin says, looking utterly flabbergasted. Soobin shrugs. 

“It wasn’t on the way!” he says. Seokjin grumbles something as he hoists Beomgyu to his feet and pats his back. 

“Go and have Soobinnie take you to the doctor, understand? And make sure it’s the right kind of doctor, okay?”

“Okay, Hyung,” Soobin says as they leave. Seokjin waves with Hueningkai before the two sorcers go back to whatever it was they were doing before. 

“I thought you said it wasn’t on the way,” Taehyun says when they go back the way they came. Soobin turns around and shrugs. 

“It isn’t,” he says. “The direction we were going would have us going in a big circle, so it’s easier just to turn around. It’s actually pretty close to your house.” Taehyun hums, looking over at Beomgyu. He still seems like a happy penguin, if not a little droopy. He’s getting tired of walking, Taehyun can tell. 

“Are you feeling alright, angel?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu sighs dramatically. 

“Oh, Taehyunnie,” he says, “could you please carry me? My feet hurt so much, I don’t-”

“Oh my gods,” Taehyun says as he places one hand on Beomgyu’s back and the other on the back of his knees, then picks him up. Beomgyu loops his arms around his Alpha’s neck and coos, plastering a sloppy kiss to his cheek. Taehyun snorts and noses the side of his face. They keep walking and Taehyun’s arms grow sore, though it’s fine. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to carry Beomgyu for his entire pregnancy, though. 

“Here we are,” Soobin says. He holds the door open for Taehyun as he staggers in, placing Beomgyu in one of the chairs. A secretary notices and walks over, smiling warmly. 

“Hello,” he says, bowing his head. He looks at Beomgyu and his rounded stomach. “I’m assuming you’d like a checkup for him?” Taehyun nods. The man smiles and helps Beomgyu up, leading him to a small room in the back. 

“Here, take this and change, alright? Keep your underpants off,” he says, handing Beomgyu some sort of gown. Taehyun tenses and stands up, his fingernails digging into his palms. The secretary or nurse waves his hand. “It’ll be fine. It’s just easier for the doctor to do the checkup. Don’t worry, you can stay with them. Since he hasn’t been checked on before, we’ll be checking to make sure he’s perfectly healthy.” Taehyun nods but he can see Beomgyu’s wide eyed stare as he locks eyes with Taehyun. 

“Can you come with me?” he says in a small voice. Taehyun nods and smiles softly. 

“Of course,” he says. He leans in to whisper in his ear. “Do you want to tell them? I think the doctor should know.” 

“Can you do it?” Taehyun nods and then the nurse leaves, closing the door. Beomgyu pulls his dress off and his hands are shaking. When he stands in the small room, wearing only an undershirt and underpants, he stares at Taehyun with tear-filled eyes. He’s quivering, hugging himself.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Taehyun says, hugging him. Beomgyu’s breathing is speeding up and he’s mumbling a little under his breath. “Breathe, angel. It’s me. It’s Taehyunnie. You’re safe, you’re safe. But the doctors need to check on you, okay? I’ll hold your hand the entire time, we can keep your chest covered. But the doctor needs to look at you there, understand?” Beomgyu can’t stop shivering. 

“Taehyun-ah, I’m scared,” he says, his voice shaky. 

“I know. Deep breaths, yeah? It’s just you and me, okay? We can go straight home after this, yeah?” Beomgyu nods. Then, he grabs the bottom of his shirt and tugs it off, dropping it on the ground. His fingers hook under the waistband of his underwear and he pulls them down his legs, leaving them on the floor. Taehyun helps him with the article of clothing he was instructed to wear (he thinks it’s called a hospital gown). 

“There we go,” Taehyun says softly. He picks up the clothes and begins folding them up as Beomgyu sits beside him, snuggling close. Taehyun finishes folding the clothes and then wraps his arms around Beomgyu, pressing his nose into his hair. The door opens, then, and there’s the doctor. She’s short, even shorter than Jimin, with black hair pulled back in a simple braid. She smiles warmly at the couple. 

“Hello,” she says, “I’m Dr. Yoon. How are you?”

“Fine, thank you,” Taehyun says, nodding. 

“I’m okay,” Beomgyu says meekly, still trying to hide behind Taehyun. The doctor nods as she pats the cot of sorts and Beomgyu shuffles over, climbing on. 

“Could you lie down, Mr-?” 

“Choi,” Taehyun says. Dr. Yoon nods. Beomgyu lies down, staring at Taehyun with wide eyes. The Alpha takes his hand and squeezes it. 

“Does he have any history that could potentially affect his reproductive system or vaginal area?” the doctor says as Beomgyu spreads his legs. He’s shaking so much, the scent of fear filling the air. 

“He was a prostitute,” Taehyun says softly as Beomgyu closes his eyes, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. “Please be careful, doctor,” he rushes out. “Please don’t hurt him.” Dr. Yoon stops, looking up. She turns to Beomgyu and looks at the tears pouring down his cheeks before wiping them away. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says. “I’ll be quick, don’t worry. I can have someone-”

“No more people, please,” Beomgyu says shakily, his voice cracking on almost every word. Dr. Yoon nods. 

“When did he start, if you know?” she says to Taehyun. 

“You- um, I’m sorry, I don’t-”

“Thirteen,” Beomgyu breathes. “I w- I was thirteen . . . I was thirteen years old.” Taehyun squeezes his hand and leans down to kiss the tears away. The doctor nods as she moves the hospital gown away until it’s bunched above his crotch, then she begins looking through. Beomgyu’s shaking uncontrollably now, his eyes squeezed shut. Taehyun keeps a careful eye on the doctor, his instincts screaming at him to push this stranger away from his mate. Beomgyu shivers and sobs silently, whimpering whenever he’s touched. 

“Alright, done,” Dr. Yoon says, pulling away. She tugs the gown down so he’s covered and Beomgyu sits up, closing his legs immediately. “You’re very lucky, Mr. Choi. I couldn’t see any problems at all. You’re very well-taken care of.” Taehyun smiles and noses the side of Beomgyu’s neck. 

“Did you hear that, angel?” he says softly. “You’re okay.” 

“I’m okay,” Beomgyu breathes. He looks at Taehyun. “I’m okay?” Taehyun nods. 

“You’re okay,” he says. Beomgyu smiles shakily. 

“Are the babies okay?” he says softly. 

“How far along are you?” Dr. Yoon says. 

“Four months.” The doctor nods and then heads out to get something. She stops in the doorway. 

“You can put your underclothes back on,” she says. Taehyun hands Beomgyu his underpants and holds out his shirt, though it’s declined and put back into the pile. 

“How’re you feeling?” Taehyun says softly. Beomgyu turns and slouches a bit as he buries his face in the crook of Taehyun’s neck. 

“I love you,” he says instead. Taehyun hums. 

“I love you too, angel.” He closes his eyes just as Dr. Yoon re-enters. 

“I just need to see your stomach, alright? A few procedures,” she says. Beomgyu lifts the hospital gown and stares at a space on the wall. Taehyun kisses his cheek, humming against the skin. His eyes flick downwards to where Dr. Yoon is rubbing some sort of salve on Beomgyu’s stomach. It glistens under the light of the lanterns, and Taehyun watches as she pulls out a mirror and flicks it a few times. His eyes grow comically wide when he sees two small and vaguely-humanoid creatures shown in the glass. He shakes Beomgyu and points. 

“What? Are-”

“Yeah! It looks like they won’t be identical, see? They’re facing away from one another.” Beomgyu nods, his eyes wide and his mouth a little ‘o’ shape. 

“Oh, wow,” he says. He looks at the doctor. “Are they healthy? Are they okay?” 

“They seem perfectly fine,” Dr. Yoon says warmly, smiling at them. She stands up and gestures at a wash basin with a few towels nearby. “You can wash up there, then you’re free to go.” 

“How much?” Beomgyu says. He doesn’t look at Taehyun. 

“Free of charge,” Dr. Yoon says. “Don’t worry about it; Namjoon’s covering your expenses.” 

“Is he that rich?” Beomgyu says, looking over at Taehyun with wide eyes. Taehyun shrugs and Dr. Yoon laughs. 

“No,” she says, “but don’t worry. Namjoon provides food and money for people, and he also makes sure- well, he designed a plan for the economy to always keep people employed and allow them to all live comfortably. I mean, there’s still classes, but our poor is different from-”

“The poor I grew up as?” Beomgyu says, tilting his head. Dr. Yoon nods. 

“Yeah. But, I mean, the way he’s designed- well, he had help, of course, but the way it was designed was to make it easier. He tries to stay aware of the problems, though it’s gotten more difficult with the constant expansion. But, like, it’s good. It’s good.” Taehyun nods, lacing his and Beomgyu’s fingers together. 

“Thank you,” he says. Dr. Yoon shrugs as she leaves, closing the door behind her. Taehyun helps Beomgyu change and then they walk out, continuing their tour. 

It isn’t difficult for them to settle into Ilsan. The town is large but it’s nice, cluttered in a way that makes Taehyun feel relaxed. There’s a forest nearby and Beomgyu insists that Taehyun allows him to go on runs as a wolf. However, as Beomgyu’s stomach changes from a perfectly round sphere to a large, vaguely sphere-shaped lump cradled in between his hips, his ability to move goes down. Taehyun can’t say he minds.

Gods, he’s just so in love with Beomgyu, isn’t he? He’s gained even more weight and is now adorably plump. His cheeks are always puffy and his hips are even rounder. The curves of his body are thoroughly accentuated by the extra chub, too. He blushes far too easily due to the extra blood pumping through his veins to support the two pups growing inside of his body, and Taehyun teases him ceaselessly. He’s insatiable in every way possible. His passions are now sleeping, eating, crying, sleeping, cuddling, and any activity where he and Taehyun are squished together. Taehyun likes to dance with him in their kitchen, singing songs he hears while walking around. Beomgyu, however, lives almost completely in his nest, only getting up for bathroom breaks and when he’s hungry. Taehyun is absolutely in love with it. His instincts preen whenever Beomgyu looks at him, whining or staring at him with giant doe-eyes. Taehyun knows that he’s around Beomgyu so much that he himself smells pregnant, and he’s had several people tell him that. They receive constant visits from the others and countless ahjummas and ahjussis have come to deliver food, advice, and medicines. 

“Stay around him as much as possible!” an old man says as he hands Taehyun a large pot of something that smells like it’ll be fun to eat. “You don’t want to stress the babies, do you?” 

“No, ahjussi,” Taehyun says, shaking his head. He cranes his neck to look at the rest of the line, then bows his head. “Thank you!” The man huffs as he shuffles away, the next visitor coming up. Just as she opens her mouth to speak, though, there’s a heart-wrenching whine from the upstairs bedroom.

“Excuse me,” Taehyun says before dashing inside, placing the pot on the table with the rest of the food collected, then running upstairs. He finds Beomgyu sitting in his nest, his arms crossed and lips pouted. 

“Taehyun-ah!” he whines. “Taehyun-ah, you never pay attention to me! Why don’t you pay attention to me?” he demands, beating his fists petulantly. Taehyun bites the inside of his cheek as he toes his slippers off and climbs into the nest, sliding an arm around Beomgyu. He nuzzles the side of his neck in apology. 

“I’m sorry, angel, I really am,” he says, “but the people-”

“Taehyun-ah, who’s more important? Me or them?” 

“You, but-” 

“Then help me build a nest down there or tell them to come up here! It’s not that hard, you stupid! Pabo-yah!” Taehyun snorts as he gets up. 

“Well, are you feeling up to going down the stairs then?” he says, raising an eyebrow. Beomgyu nods, then slowly rises from the bed. Taehyun, worried as ever, helps him up and pulls his slippers on, then helps Beomgyu with his. They slowly go down the stairs and then Taehyun runs back up to bring some of his unwashed clothes down, handing them to Beomgyu. The Omega’s already building a nest near the fireplace and Taehyun picks up the coffee table (of course, this is after he’s removed everything on it) and pushes the couches together. Beomgyu has cocooned himself in one of the bigger blankets and he now sits by the fire, staring at Taehyun with droopy eyes. He’s only wearing a too-big shirt with sleeves that cover his hands and a pair of tiny shorts. Beomgyu has deemed himself exempt from having to wear normal, more temperature-suited attire. Which, Taehyun supposes, is fine because he never leaves the house except for going to see Namjoon and Seokjin’s dog, Monnie. Dr. Yoon usually comes over to check on him and, whenever he wants some fresh air, Taehyun will crack the windows open. Sometimes they go to sit inside of Namjoon’s greenhouse, though that’s about it. 

“Is that him?”

“What a good Alpha!”

“So sweet!” 

“The kindest I’ve ever seen!” 

“A prime example of what one should do for a pregnant mate!” 

“They like you a lot,” Beomgyu says, though there’s a pout Taehyun can’t ignore. He looks up from where he’s getting a bowl of soup for Beomgyu. They have to start eating this.

“Nah,” he says. “They like you and they like that I’m helping you.” Beomgyu hmphs and crosses his arms, undoing his cocoon. Taehyun makes his way over and climbs over the couches, sitting down and beginning to feed his mate. Beomgyu continues to pout. 

“Angel, what’s wrong?” he says, frowning and putting the spoon in the bowl. He places the bowl on a nearby table. 

“You don’t like them more than me, do you?” he says, his lower lip beginning to quiver. Taehyun clicks his tongue and pulls Beomgyu close, careful of the absolutely _humongous_ bulge of his stomach.

“How could I ever like anyone more than you?” Beomgyu sniffles. 

“I’m ugly,” he says, “and fat and sad and stupid and messed up and-”

“You’re so perfect,” Taehyun says. “Gods, you’re so smart and beautiful and I love your fat because it’s natural and healthy and maybe you’re a little messed up but that’s okay. Well, I mean, it’s not, like, ‘okay’, but it’s expected. It’s a problem but we’re working on solving it, aren’t we? And you’ve gotten so much better, gods, I’m so proud of you. You’re so strong and you’ve been carrying these kids for so long and I know you can do it and I love you so much because you’re _you_. And, for me, that translates to perfect.” 

Beomgyu’s embrace tightens and he sniffles before sobbing. Taehyun hushes him and rubs his back, humming. They stay like that for a few more moments before the sound of someone knocking on the door is heard. Taehyun looks up and his lips pull away from his teeth before he remembers what happened the last time he growled at anyone. Beomgyu had burst into tears and had needed lots of reassurance that it wasn’t his fault and that there had been nothing he could’ve done to avoid it. He slowly pulls away and Beomgyu whimpers as Taehyun goes to the door, opening it with a rather forced smile. 

“Taehyunnie! I brought you something!” There’s a meow and Taehyun’s eyes widen. Beomgyu stands up and shuffles over, still wrapped in a blanket. The ahjumma at the door is holding a basket with bits of blanket sticking out, and part of a tail. Taehyun and Beomgyu look at each other before Beomgyu chirps and takes the basket, opening it and cooing at the brown and white kitten inside. Taehyun looks in and smiles. 

“Thank you, ahjumma,” he says, bowing his head. Beomgyu is too busy playing with the cat to say anything. 

“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine!” she says, clapping her hands together. She pokes her head in, looking around. “I’m surprised no one’s given you a cat yet; they’re good for keeping spirits out.” She scoffs. “Probably the whore-prince’s fault. He doesn’t know anything about tradition.” Taehyun tenses and Beomgyu stops, looking over his shoulder. He forces a smile onto his face.

“Well, thank you again,” he says through gritted teeth. “It’s gotten awfully late, however, and we have a dinner later tonight. Goodbye.” 

“Goodbye!” Taehyun shuts the door, sighing. Beomgyu puts the cat down and waddles over, the blanket falling from his body as he wraps his arms around Taehyun. 

“I love you,” he says softly. Taehyun hugs him back and sighs. 

“I love you too. Do you wanna go get dressed?” 

“Wait, that was true?” Beomgyu says, stepping back and tilting his head. Taehyun shrugs. 

“I didn’t tell you this morning?” 

“Nuh-uh.” Taehyun smiles and giggles, beginning to put the food and gifts away. Whatever isn’t food is left on the table to be thrown out. Beomgyu is very picky about what goes in the trash and what they keep, so Taehyun’s trying his hardest to avoid any more tantrums by letting him do the sorting out.

Beomgyu comes down a few minutes later, grunting loudly. Taehyun tries not to laugh at him. He’s still in his shirt but now he’s wearing pants and socks. Taehyun hands him a cloak and helps him with his shoes before helping himself, then opens the door and out they go. 

They reach Namjoon and Seokjin’s house after the sun has set. Taehyun knocks and Monnie greets them, grinning from the window. Namjoon opens the door and Beomgyu goes inside, taking off his shoes as he goes to sit down. Everyone else is already there, chatting idly. 

“There he is!” Yeonjun says, standing up. Taehyun snorts. His brother’s already tipsy. Soobin stands up and everyone follows the couple’s example. Beomgyu smiles and accepts hugs then asks for clothing. 

“Taehyun-ah has to spend so much time downstairs,” he says when asked for an explanation. “I’m building another nest in the living room.” 

“Oh, yeah, we could see the line when we came over!” Jimin says. Yoongi nods. They’re both a little flushed from alcohol. Soobin is drinking tea and Hueningkai, according to Seokjin and Namjoon and Yoongi and Jimin and Yeonjun and Soobin and Taehyun and (sometimes) Beomgyu, is too young. He has a cup of juice Taehyun thinks. 

“We have too much food, it’s like we’re preparing for a famine,” Taehyun says. Namjoon laughs as he comes in, sitting nearby. 

“Yeah. It’s how we show our hospitality here. Did you get a cat?” 

“Uh-huh,” Beomgyu says. “We don’t have a name, though.” 

“I wouldn’t expect that since you don’t even have any baby names,” Yeonjun says. Soobin laughs and wraps an arm around his waist. Taehyun shrugs. 

“It’s a lot harder than it sounds,” he says. “Mostly because one of us is super indecisive.” Beomgyu shrugs and then moves so his head is in Taehyun’s lap. The younger boy doesn’t even think as he begins to comb his fingers through Beomgyu’s hair, one hand smoothing down his body. Yoongi gets up, mumbling something to Jimin and then heading to the kitchen. 

“We’re not naming any of them after you,” Beomgyu says, his eyes closed. “Don’t even try.” 

“You would totally name one ‘Beomgyu 2.0’ if you could,” Yeonjun accuses, jabbing a finger at Beomgyu. Taehyun laughs with Beomgyu. His brother is curled up with his feet on the couch, pressed into Soobin’s embrace. It’s cute, though Taehyun thinks he and Beomgyu are far cuter. 

When Yoongi and Seokjin finish cooking, they all sit around the large dining table and begin to eat. Compliments are tossed at the chefs as the plates are passed around, Seokjin and Hueningkai using magic to keep everyone’s cups full. Well, except for everyone with alcohol. Seokjin doesn’t trust anyone enough for that. 

“I have an announcement,” Namjoon says. Everyone quiets down and looks at him. 

“What is it, Hyung?” Soobin says. 

“Jeongguk is coming back.” Taehyun’s eyes widen and he looks at Beomgyu. 

“Is my Appa with him? Is he okay?” he says. 

“What about Taehyung and Hoseok?” 

“When?”

“How long?” 

“Where-”

“They’ll be here in a few days. Probably a week at most. There’s going to be a boat sent to pick them up at the halfway point-”

“Has it already been sent?” Beomgyu says. Seokjin nods. 

“Because of the protections I’ve put around the islands, we’ve arranged for a ship to meet them before they get killed by a storm. I’m hoping it’ll be smooth sailing the entire time, though. My brothers can’t swim.” 

“Neither can Appa . . .” Beomgyu says. He begins to chew on his lip and Taehyun places a hand on his. 

“Do you wanna go somewhere else? Are you okay?” he says softly. Beomgyu doesn’t answer. 

“Hey, Gyu-yah, they won’t be doing any swimming,” Yoongi says. “Don’t you remember our ride over here? We didn’t swim, did we? So, don’t you agree that it wouldn’t make any sense if they did?” Beomgyu shakes his head and Taehyun squeezes his hand, rubbing his back. 

_Thank you,_ he mouths at Yoongi as Beomgyu calms down, sighing as he finally relaxes. 

“Okay,” he says. He looks at Taehyun and smiles. “You get to meet my Appa!” Taehyun laughs and hugs him. 

“Yeah, I do,” he says. Beomgyu smiles and blows a raspberry against the crook of Taehyun’s neck, pulling away with a grin. Taehyun watches him fondly and the table kicks up again, food being passed around as words are exchanged. 

They leave early because Beomgyu’s getting very sleepy. Taehyun is too, as neither of them have gotten a full night of shut-eye in way too long. Taehyun doesn’t even know any more. So, they bid goodbye and good night to their hosts and the other guests before heading out. The early December air is biting and Taehyun shivers, though Beomgyu can’t stop his teeth from chattering loudly in the night. The sun’s already set, having disappeared from the sky to leave a black canvas sparkling with small diamonds. The moon looks like a large pearl hanging in the sky. 

“You ever notice, Taehyunnie,” Beomgyu says, slurring his words as his eyes droop, “that our hands fit perfectly?” Taehyun hums and looks down. His hands are big, though they aren’t like Soobin’s or even Yoongi’s. Beomgyu, on the other hand, has small-ish hands that could conceal themselves as average-sized if Taehyun didn’t have such hands. They both have long, delicate fingers, though Taehyun’s skin is rough from using a sword for so long while Beomgyu’s hands are rather soft. His fingers shake from how energetic he is, but it’s affected by what he’s feeling, too. Lately, his fingers have been pudgier, but Taehyun thinks it’s cute. He also thinks it’s cute that Beomgyu would notice that. 

“I’ve never paid it much attention because they fit so well,” he says teasingly. This pleases his sleepy mate and Beomgyu grins at him, leaning on his shoulder. Taehyun tugs him closer then, one arm wrapping around his hips. He smiles at Beomgyu and they’re under one of the lanterns lining the cobbled streets, the steam from their breath filling the air. 

“What’re you doing, Taehyunnie?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“I just needed to look at you again,” he says. Beomgyu snorts, humming. 

“You didn’t forget me, did you?” Taehyun laughs. 

“Impossible,” he says, pushing himself up on his tip-toes. Beomgyu giggles when he notices but leans forward nonetheless, kissing him. Taehyun pulls back before they get too carried away, smiling at Beomgyu. They keep walking, then, heading to the house. Slowly, Beomgyu climbs up the stairs, Taehyun following. He watches as Beomgyu waddles into the bedroom and changes, climbing into bed. Taehyun heads to the bathroom and grabs his toothbrush, shaking his mate. 

“Hey, angel, you gotta brush your teeth,” he says. Beomgyu hums and attempts to roll away from him. 

“Too tired,” he says. Taehyun snorts and shakes his head as he gets up and heads back into the bathroom, brushing his teeth, washing his face, and then using the bathroom. He heads out with his glasses on and turns the lights off, smiling softly at the large lump in the bed. Beomgyu’s already fast asleep, thank the gods, and Taehyun slowly clambers into bed beside him. The moment he’s lying down, Beomgyu wiggles back until they’re touching. Taehyun smiles tiredly as he pulls his glasses off and places them on the bedside table, then he’s reminded that he has yet to change. Biting back a groan, Taehyun gets up and shuffles toward the closet, pulling his shirt and pants off as he grabs some pajamas. He finally gets back in bed and Beomgyu sighs the moment Taehyun’s chest comes in contact with his back. Their legs tangle together and Taehyun presses a kiss to his mating bite, smiling softly against the skin when Beomgyu squirms. He rubs his stomach and thinks he can feel the pups moving around in response to his touch. Sighing, Taehyun inhales the sweet scent of honeysuckle and oranges mixed with his own smoky ginger and lemongrass. The oranges Taehyun’s grown so accustomed to smell like they’re still unripe, something he’s not quite used to. The honeysuckle isn’t as strong as usual and Taehyun bets it has something to do with the babies growing in Beomgyu’s stomach. He closes his eyes and sighs again. He’ll ask Dr. Yoon about it the next time they meet. 

They begin getting ready for Dae-Jung (Beomgyu’s father) and Hanna (Beomgyu’s aunt-figure?) to come. And, of course, Seokjin and Yoongi’s younger brothers, Taehyung and Hoseok. Taehyun remembers both of them being very energetic and talkative, so he thinks they’ll get along well with Beomgyu. Then again, it’s difficult not to. 

When they receive the message that the boat is pulling into the ports on December 16th, Beomgyu begins to cry. Taehyun feels like crying as he asks him why and what he can do to help and receives no answer. 

“Angel, angel, my sweet angel, what’s wrong? What is it? Are you okay?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu only cries harder and Taehyun can’t stop the whine building up in his throat. Their cat, Hobak, wanders over, mewling in distress as he leaps into Beomgyu’s lap. Taehyun bustles around, trying to find a problem. 

“Tuh-Taehyun-ah,” Beomgyu sobs, “can you hug me?” 

“Of course, of course, here I come,” Taehyun says as he barely restrains himself from leaping into Beomgyu’s couch nest and wrapping his arms around him. They cuddle and Hobak wiggles in too, jealous of the attention. 

When Beomgyu does stop crying, Taehyun still needs some time to calm down. He explains he just felt really happy, but Taehyun could tell that wasn’t everything. However, to avoid any more tears, Taehyun nods and accepts it, peppering Beomgyu’s face with kisses. The extra bedrooms they have, though Taehyun assumes they were meant for children (however, those won’t be coming along for another couple of months, and, even then, there are still a few more years), will be housing Dae-Jung and Hanna. Seokjin and Namjoon volunteered to let Hoseok and Taehyung stay with them, though Jeongguk has his own place. Taehyun is excited to see them all again. Well, two of them he’ll have never met, though he thinks it makes sense if he knows Beomgyu’s dad. 

The sixteenth arrives and Taehyun helps Beomgyu get dressed, careful of his large stomach. He’s around five months now and the babies are kicking and then there’s the added dizziness that makes it a lot harder for them to walk around. Then again, Beomgyu’s longest trips are from the bedroom to the kitchen or living room, so he’s usually okay. 

Strangely enough, Beomgyu is silent. His expression is downcast and he avoids meeting eyes as they arrive at the port, watching the ship cut through the water. Beomgyu’s grip on Taehyun’s hand is an iron vice and it worries the Alpha. He rubs his lower back and nuzzles him, trying to calm him down. 

The moment the boat stops, Taehyung and Hoseok are jumping off of the boat. Taehyun can smell them from where he stands but it’s ignored as Yoongi and Seokjin run at them, pulling their brothers close. From what he saw, all four imperial princes are crying. They huddle around each other and their sobs can be heard even though Taehyun made sure to get Beomgyu a place on a bench far from the water. 

And then, a frail man gets off with a woman. Beomgyu’s eyes widen and he stares at the stranger before his expression turns steely. Taehyun looks over, then at Beomgyu. 

“Taehyun-ah, why is that man here?” Beomgyu says coldly, pointing at the man. Taehyun presumes it’s his father. “Taehyun-ah, why did he come here? I thought he never wanted to see me again. Why did you bring him here?” The man who confirms himself to be Dae-Jung by flinching, stares at Beomgyu with scared eyes. The woman with him (Hanna?) squeezes his hand. 

“Bear, it’s- it’s me. Bear, it’s me. Appa,” Dae-Jung says weakly. Beomgyu stands up and Taehyun notices how everyone’s watching them. Beomgyu dusts himself off and stares coldly at his father. His expression is unwelcoming and bitter. Taehyun looks between the two, from Dae-Jung’s hopeless but still pleading face to the sour stare of Beomgyu. 

“Don’t call me that,” Beomgyu hisses, jabbing a finger at his father. He crosses his arms and narrows his eyes. “I thought you never wanted to see me again. You told me to get out that night, didn’t you? You told me you never wanted to see me again!” Beomgyu’s crying, tears streaming down his cheeks. Taehyun’s instincts take over as he plants himself between father and son.

“Angel,” he says softly, “would you like to go home?” Beomgyu wipes his eyes and nods. Taehyun clings to his arm yet still somehow ends up leading the way to the house. Beomgyu wordlessly goes into the bedroom after kicking his shoes off and climbs into his nest, lying on his side. Taehyun walks over and sits next to him, pushing glasses up. 

“Cuddle?” he says softly, letting his hand hover over Beomgyu’s arm. The Omega nods and Taehyun lies down, wrapping his arms around his mate and tugging him closer. His hair tickles Taehyun’s nose but he doesn’t mind. The unripe oranges and faint honeysuckle is as comforting as always, and Taehyun’s grown used to the faint scent of something he can only describe as babies. 

“Are you okay?” he whispers, his lips brushing against the nape of Beomgyu’s neck. 

“I’m so stupid,” Beomgyu says shakily. Taehyun clicks his tongue and shakes his head. 

“No, you aren’t,” he says. “It’s okay that you don’t want to see him.” 

“He’s still going to be staying with us.” 

“Do you want me to ask Hyungs if they can let him stay for a bit? Until you’re ready?” 

Beomgyu shakes his head. “I want to talk to him. At some point.” Taehyun hums and closes his eyes. 

“Do you want to take a nap? I have to go help and bring things in, do you-”

“I’ll stay here,” Beomgyu says firmly. Taehyun nods and reaches for his glasses. He leans down and kisses Beomgyu’s cheek before heading downstairs and grabbing his shoes and cloak. Then, he heads out to meet his (sort of) father-in-law. 

When Taehyun gets to the docks, Dae-Jung and Hanna are still standing awkwardly by the boat. He walks over and tries to appear non-threatening as he holds his hand out. 

“Kang Taehyun,” he says, smiling in greeting. “Do you have any bags? Is there anything I can carry for you?” 

“Is he okay?” Dae-Jung says meekly. Taehyun nods, his smile dropping. 

“He’s napping. You guys are going to be staying with us, so don’t worry if your clothes begin to disappear after a few days. He has two nests, so just watch out. Oh, and we have a cat named Hobak.” Taehyun begins walking through the streets, looking over his shoulder every so often to make sure his guests are still following. They reach the house and Taehyun opens the door, pulling off his shoes and hanging his cloak. Hobak pads downstairs and Taehyun coos, opening his arms and allowing the cat to leap up into his embrace. 

“So, upstairs, the bedroom with Gyu should be obvious ‘cause of his scent, and I wouldn’t recommend disturbing him because he’s going to be very snappy if he’s woken up. The nursery is to the left and down the hall is a bathroom with two other bedrooms. Both of them have single beds. Oh, and there’s the kitchen, the study’s in the back, and there’s our living room. Questions? Also, before I forget, there’s a bathroom near the kitchen and feel free to help yourself to the leftovers. Now, questions? Comments? Concerns?”

“Could we talk after we both bathe?” Dae-Jung says, gesturing to himself and Hanna. Taehyun nods and puts Hobak down, climbing up the stairs. 

“Of course,” he says. “I’m going to go check on Beomgyu, just knock if you need anything, alright? We have dinner at Jin and Joon-Hyung’s house tonight, and there should be clothes in the closets or dressers. I’ll see you later, yeah?” Taehyun arrives upstairs and he opens the door to his bedroom, waving his guests goodbye. Beomgyu is propped up on the pillows and reading one of the books he’s brought to his nest, his shirt bunched up ontop of his stomach. He’s rubbing it and humming to himself, though he looks up when Taehyun comes in.

“Hey,” he says. Taehyun smiles as he climbs into the nest, tucking his head beneath Beomgyu’s. 

“Hey. How’re you feeling?” Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I missed you,” he says. “He hasn’t been an asshole, right?” Taehyun shakes his head. 

“No. Neither of them have spoken much. Did you hear, though? We’re going to have a welcome dinner later at Hyungs’ house.” Beomgyu hums. 

“My back hurts,” he says. Taehyun snorts. 

“You want a massage, don’t you?” he says. Beomgyu shrugs and slowly moves forward, slumping. Taehyun laughs as he sits behind him, beginning to massage his mate’s lower back. That seems to be where the worst of the pain is, though Beomgyu complains constantly of a sore back in general. Taehyun doesn’t mind, as his instincts preen at the thought of taking care of his Omega. They’re not nearly as eager when even his greatest efforts can only soothe the pain for a few hours. A day at most. 

Once Beomgyu falls asleep, there’s a soft knock on the door. Taehyun stands up and pushes his hair back, nodding at Dae-Jung. He can see the resemblance between father and son; they share the same big eyes and nose, with fangs that are a little sharper than the average Alpha or Omega’s. Their jawlines are similar, but Beomgyu’s is more rounded out with a healthy layer of fat. His father’s cheeks are hollowed out and his eyes are a bit sunken in, but there’s no mistaking that they’re related. 

“Where would you like to talk?” Taehyun says. 

“Could we do so in the kitchen? I don’t- I would rather not have Beomgyu listening in by accident.” Taehyun nods and hides his frown. He feels like it would make sense if Dae-Jung wanted Beomgyu with them. 

They reach the kitchen table and sit across from one another. Taehyun gets up to bring out some leftovers, but Dae-Jung shakes his head. 

“Unless you’re hungry,” he says, his eyes focused on the table. Taehyun sits back down, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers together. Dae-Jung clears his throat and looks uncomfortable. He’s wearing new clothes and he looks a lot cleaner. Taehyun is surprised he doesn’t want to eat anything. 

“I owe you an apology,” Dae-Jung finally says, staring at his hands. Taehyun raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything. “I- my son- I’ve assumed a lot of things about you based on my own experiences.” Taehyun shrugs. “You- from what I’ve gathered, you’ve been nothing but kind to Beomgyu.” Taehyun shrugs again, but he begins to tap his toe. 

“I mean, I don’t know you that well,” he says, “but I’m not going to say I haven’t made assumptions about you. Beomgyu loves you a lot, though, and he really want- wanted- oh, gods, wants your relationship to work out. Yeah. He wants that.” Taehyun laughs nervously. 

“He’s having twins, right?” Dae-Jung says. Oh, that’s a question Taehyun can answer. 

“Yeah. Um, uh, sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize. I guess . . . I suppose it was expected to some extent.” Taehyun doesn’t like the way that sounds. He bristles, digging his nails into his palms. Dae-Jung notices and corrects himself. “He- you two have always been drawn to one another, and I suppose it was foolish of me to attempt to keep you apart.” Taehyun’s shoulders relax and he sits back, tilting his head. Dae-Jung sighs, running a hand through his still-wet hair. “I’m sorry, really,” he says. “You- I understand if you don’t want to see me or meet me, and you allowing us to stay in your own home is admirable.” He looks at his hands. “I am nothing if not embarrassed to say I didn’t do the same thing when my own son came to me.” Taehyun shrugs. 

“I- I mean no offense when I say this, but I don’t want anything from you. The only reason you’re here is because Beomgyu wanted you to come because he missed you. He’s offered you a chance to right your wrongs and he really does want to have a good relationship with you. He wants his children to know their halabeoji, since they won’t know my father. It’s important to both of us, but, when it comes down to it, Beomgyu just wants you to be there for him. He really just wants you to love him and make sure he knows that. You two were really close and he misses that. So, please, just make him happy. I- it’s all I want,” he says. He sighs and now it’s Taehyun’s turn to stare at his hands. He looks out the window and stares at the town and the people passing by, then notices how the line has, as expected, re-appeared. It’s not as long as it was in October and November, but it’s still there. 

“Excuse me,” Taehyun says, getting up. He heads to his and Beomgyu’s room and knocks on the door. Beomgyu opens it, wearing only an oversized shirt. 

“The line’s back,” he says. “Would you like to sit in your living room nest? Also, where’s Hobak?” Beomgyu gestures vaguely at the bed and Taehyun squints, adjusting his spectacles, then he notices Hobak hiding beneath the bed. 

“Can you help me downstairs, Taehyunnie?” Beomgyu says, batting his eyes. Taehyun laughs as he picks him up, grunting. 

“I need to go and work out or something,” he says as he begins to walk down the stairs that creak in protest as he heads toward the living room. Beomgyu’s having the time of his life, laughing his head off as Taehyun finally arrives at his nest and gently places him down. He grabs the nearest blanket and wraps it around himself, smiling up at Taehyun. 

“Kiss?” Beomgyu says, puckering his lips. Taehyun laughs again as he leans down and presses their lips together, then pulls away and goes to open the door. 

“Oh, good to see you, Taehyun-ssi,” Dr. Yoon says. She spots Beomgyu sitting comfortably in his nest. “Are you ready for your checkup?” Beomgyu nods and Taehyun steps aside to allow the doctor inside. Dr. Yoon walks over to Beomgyu after taking her shoes off, sitting beside him. The blanket falls away from Beomgyu and he lifts his shirt, revealing his stomach. The doctor goes through the normal procedures, asking questions as she goes along. 

“They started moving in October, right?” Beomgyu hums. 

“Yup,” he says, looking pleased with himself. Dr. Yoon nods. 

“Have you felt any actual kicks since then?” 

“Uh-huh.” Dr. Yoon nods in approval as she rubs Beomgyu’s stomach, then she pulls out some sort of device. Taehyun’s seen it before and was told it’s used to hear the babies’ heartbeats, so he and Beomgyu both had to try it out. Dr. Yoon puts it away with a smile as she goes over the same things she did last time, making sure to tell Taehyun what he can do to make sure Beomgyu is as content as can be. 

“I’ll see you next week,” Dr. Yoon says as she bids them goodbye and packs up. Taehyun opens the door and waves, Beomgyu standing nearby in his blanket. Then begins the acceptance of the many gifts. 

Taehyun is surprised to say the least when they get clothes. Baby clothes that he had forgotten about getting because Beomgyu still has around four to five months to go. There are also toys and baby bottles and Beomgyu falls in love with everything. He coos and squeals whenever he pulls out the little clothes offered, showing them all to Taehyun. Once everyone’s left, Taehyun sits on the bed and helps him sort everything out. 

“Ew, no, I don’t want this,” Beomgyu says as he tosses aside a little night gown of sorts. Taehyun trips over himself as he attempts to catch it and put it in their pile of ‘ew, no’. Taehyun looks outside and frowns at the colors painting the sky.

“We should go get ready,” he says. Beomgyu hums non-committally and continues sorting through the pile before he stands up and drops his blanket. Taehyun helps him up the stairs and then into some pants. 

“Dae-Jung-ssi?” he says. “Hanna-ssi? It’s time to go!” The two bedrooms’ doors open and Taehyun smiles, moving aside as they head downstairs. Taehyun helps Beomgyu with his shoes and Hanna holds the door open as the couple walks out and down the street. 

“Here he is!” Yeonjun cries when he opens the door, stepping aside. Taehyun rolls his eyes and Beomgyu hits him, taking his shoes and cloak off with Taehyun’s help. 

“Hyung,” Taehyun says, moving so Dae-Jung and Hanna can enter, “this is Beomgyu’s father, Dae-Jung, and his father’s friend, Hanna. Please don’t make a fool of yourself. Try and act like an adult.” 

“Ah, Taehyunnie, that’s where you’re getting me wrong!” Yeonjun says happily. “I’m not an adult!” However, he curtsies at the two actual adults and grins. “I’m Yeonjun by the way, though I’m guessing my hair gave it away.” Taehyun snorts and Beomgyu begins to laugh as Hanna and Dae-Jung both smile. 

“Just a bit,” Hanna says. She holds her hand out and Yeonjun shakes it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Oh, really, the pleasure’s all mine,” Yeonjun says. He turns to Dae-Jung and holds his hand out. They shake hands and then Yeonjun’s dashing into the kitchen when they pull away. Taehyun walks toward the living room and Beomgyu sits down, sighing. Taehyun sits beside him and then all heads turn in their direction. 

“Oh, wow!” Jeongguk says and Taehyun snorts. Beomgyu laughs. 

“It’s been a while, Hyung,” he says. Jeongguk nods, his eyes wide. Taehyung and Hoseok both stare at the younger Omega’s swollen stomach with wide eyes full of awe. 

“How far along _are_ you?” Hoseok says. 

“Almost six months,” Beomgyu says. He sighs. “There are two.” 

“Two?!” Taehyung says like he’s never heard of such a phenomenon before. He looks at Hoseok. “I never knew that was actually _real_ ,” he whispers. 

“Wait, really?” Dae-Jung says as he sits down. “You never knew people could have more than one baby?” 

“Well, I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never seen it so I just assumed it was some sort of gods’ send.” 

“A reasonable conclusion,” Jeongguk says. 

“Thank you.” Seokjin stumbles in then, looking flabbergasted. 

“You didn’t know twins were a thing?!” he squawks. Taehyun curses and clambers over the couch, running out of the room. His older brother chases after him and Taehyun hears a crash before Monnie begins barking. Then, Hueningkai appears in the doorway, his eyes wide. Hoseok coos. 

“Ning-ah, you come here, come sit with Hyung,” he says, patting his lap. Hueningkai’s cheeks go up in flames as he sits on the Omega’s lap and he’s much taller than him so it looks a bit awkward. Taehyun doubles over because he’s laughing too hard. 

“Oh my gods, does he have a crush on him?” Beomgyu whispers into his ear. Taehyun nods. Hueningkai glares at them and then covers his right hand as his middle finger shoots up. Beomgyu releases an indignant noise. 

“Don’t you dare use that gesture!” he says. “I’m pregnant! You’re doing it to three people instead of one! I’m your Hyung!” Hoseok pouts as he pokes his head out from behind Hueningkai. 

“Kai, you didn’t do anything, did you?” he says. Hueningkai’s cheeks are still flaming but even more as he looks away and shakes his head. 

“No, Hyung,” he mumbles. Hoseok squeals and hugs him, rocking back and forth. 

“Of course, you didn’t! You’re my little Kai-Kai, aren’t you? My sweet little Huening. Such a good Huening, huh?” 

“Oh my _gods_ ,” Beomgyu says while Taehyun wheezes. Yeonjun and Soobin walk in and see Hueningkai with his red cheeks sitting on Hoseok’s lap before the Omega breaks down and falls onto Soobin from laughing too hard. Hueningkai’s eyes narrow but even Soobin can’t restrain himself as he covers his mouth and his shoulders shake. Hueningkai looks like he’s about to explode, either from being on Hoseok’s lap or from being so utterly embarrassed and furious with the rest of them. 

Thank the gods for dinner because Taehyun thinks it would really kill the mood if they had to clean up whatever would be left of Hueningkai if he exploded. As he looks around the table, he decides that this is officially the weirdest pack to exist. Their youngest is a Beta and there are eight Omegas out of fourteen people, with five Alphas. The average pack has one Omega and one Alpha and then everyone else is a Beta, with maybe an extra Omega to take care of pups and replace the Alpha’s mate. Or, at least, that’s what Taehyun’s always been taught. 

However, as he looks at their small-ish group, he can’t help but notice how natural it is. Taehyun smiles at the thought and he looks at Beomgyu. He’s relaxed significantly since when he first saw his father, but there’s still a reasonable distance between them. In truth, Taehyun can’t blame Beomgyu at all. From what he knows, Dae-Jung was the one to kill the relationship. He doesn’t know for sure, but, especially with Dae-Jung’s apology from earlier, Taehyun thinks it’s a pretty safe assumption. 

Later, as they’re going home, Beomgyu speaks to his father. 

“Can you come into my room so we can talk?” he says, staring ahead. Taehyun squeezes his hand as they keep walking. 

“Of course,” Dae-Jung says. Beomgyu swallows hard and nods. 

“Auntie,” he says, still staring at the road in front of them, “you can come too. Taehyunnie’s going to be there.”

“It isn’t my place,” Hanna says, her voice soft. “I think this is something you three should talk about. Besides, I’m tired. Don’t worry about it, okay, bear?” Beomgyu hums and they keep walking, arriving at the house. Taehyun locks the door and then helps Beomgyu with his shoes. They all head upstairs but Hanna goes to her room while everyone else goes to Beomgyu and Taehyun’s bedroom. Beomgyu sits in his nest and Taehyun moves beside him, Dae-Jung sitting in the armchair. The lanterns glow dimly and Taehyun’s eyes dart between father and son, unsure of where to remain. 

[ _Studio Ghibli Meets BTS (Music Box Edition)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2NR6BlBy7I)

“Well?” Beomgyu says, and his voice is so quiet Taehyun has to strain his ears to hear. 

“I’m sorry,” Dae-Jung says after a long moment of silence. He doesn’t look at Beomgyu. “I messed up and- I don’t know, I just- I messed up.”

Beomgyu sniffles and wipes his nose. “That’s an understatement,” he says bitterly, picking at the blanket. “You messed up, psh, what bullshit.” He laughs into the silence then looks up, his eyes hollow except for the burning flames of anger. “You hurt me,” he snarls. “You pushed me away when all I did was try and make things better!” 

“Beomgyu-”

“No!” he cries. “No, you don’t get to say anything! You don’t- when someone says you hurt them, you hurt them! You don’t get to change that! And you hurt me! You manipulated me and made me feel like shit ‘cause you were too lost in the past! Do you know how much of my life I’ve spent cursing my own existence?! I don’t- I don’t care if you lost your damned education! You don’t- gods, what the fuck is wrong with you? I’m still a kid! I’m still a kid and I don’t deserve to think I’m the reason my father had to stay a prostitute!” he screams. Dae-Jung is curling in on himself but Taehyun doesn’t care. He rests a hand on Beomgyu’s hip and he kisses his mating mark, trying to soothe him. Beomgyu, however, isn’t finished yet. 

“You fucking asshole!” he yells, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I looked up to you! I love you more than anything! Do you know how it fucks with- how badly it fucks with you when the person you love most blames you for his own mistakes?! And when- I’m still alive because of Taehyun and you couldn’t get over your pride and think he might be better than you thought! You hurt me! And you know what? I know about what you tried to do! I- gods, I _know_ , Appa, I know that you’ve never wanted me a day in your life. I know!” His hands are shaking as he points at his father, brown eyes narrowed as tears pour in endless streams down his face. He’s standing up, panting from how angry he is. 

“Please-”

“You never wanted me, did you?!” Beomgyu screams. “Say it! Tell me how much you hate me! Tell me how you despise my entire existence even more than I do! Tell me how worthless I am!” Beomgyu says. When he receives only silence, he clenches his fists at his sides and growls. “Tell me,” he hisses. 

Dae-Jung lets the silence sit and Taehyun feels his chest close up. He can feel the power running through his veins aching to tug out the wolf that snarls and snaps at the blatant disrespect, but he fights it. 

“I’m sorry,” Dae-Jung says, his voice cracking and hoarse. He puts his head in his hands. “I’m sorry.” He looks up at Beomgyu and he’s crying like his son, but it’s not angry. It’s heartbroken and ashamed and guilty, but not angry. “I don’t have any excuse, nor should I, and . . . I love you and I doubt it means as much as it did, but gods, I’m sorry.”

“Appa,” Beomgyu says, his voice still heavy with the weight of his emotions, “I wanna start over. I wan’ . . . I wanna go back to when I was little. I want you to love me the way you did.” Dae-Jung perks up. 

“But,” Beomgyu says, “I need time. You- it- my heart hurts. It hurts a lot and I need time to heal. But . . . I want to be able to have a good relationship with you. I love you, but . . . but I don’t want- I need to recover. I just need you to remind me that you love me and that there’s still something worth- something worth fighting for.” Dae-Jung nods. 

“Okay,” he says softly. Beomgyu is still standing up as his father leaves. 

“I love you, bear.” Beomgyu nods. 

“Good night,” he says. The door closes softly and they wait until the sound of footsteps fades away before Beomgyu collapses. Taehyun catches him and pulls him into his arms, kissing his tears away. Beomgyu sobs into Taehyun’s chest as he clutches his shoulders, moving so he’s straddling him. Taehyun cranes his neck to pepper kisses all over Beomgyu’s face, whining softly in the back of his throat. Beomgyu sniffles and wipes his eyes, smiling softly. 

“How’re you feeling, angel?” Taehyun says. 

“A lot better,” Beomgyu says. “It- I’m glad I got all of that out.” Taehyun smiles at him and cups his face, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears sliding down Beomgyu’s cheekbones. Beomgyu leans forward and waits for Taehyun to close the distance between their lips, distracting his hands by playing with the long hair that tickles the nape of Taehyun’s neck. Taehyun holds Beomgyu’s hips carefully, rubbing small circles around on the small of his back. The kiss tastes like salt and Beomgyu and it makes Taehyun’s chest seize up and his heart beat faster. He wants to hold Beomgyu in his arms and never let go, to keep him safe from the outside world. 

“I love you,” Taehyun says between kisses. Beomgyu is still crying as he looks at Taehyun, then reaches down to cup his face. 

“You promise?” he says and he’s broken and fragile. Taehyun begins wiping the tears away. 

“Always,” he says, leaning up and kissing his nose. “There’s no way I could ever stop loving you, okay? I promise I’ll always be here for you.”

[ _Spring Day- Music Box Edition_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9Dmvknn-0)

Taehyun begins humming, his voice hoarse. He lies back and takes Beomgyu with him, closing his eyes. He can feel Beomgyu taking his glasses off and Hobak jumping onto the bed. There’s also the sound of Hanna and Dae-Jung getting ready for bed, though he doesn’t really pay anything much attention. He only cares about the feeling of Beomgyu’s hair between his fingers and the weight of his body and the sound of his breathing as he calms down. Beomgyu wiggles a bit and Taehyun lets him move until he’s comfortable, Sighing, Taehyun continues humming until they’ve both fallen asleep. 

Beomgyu wakes him up in the middle of the night and asks, in the smallest voice Taehyun’s ever heard, if he could have a cup of tea. Taehyun grunts and gets out of bed, mumbling an agreement as he fumbles for his glasses. He shuffles out of the bedroom and down the stairs, Hobak trailing after him. The kitchen is silent and Taehyun slowly fills up a kettle, then begins heating it up. He picks out Beomgyu’s favorite herbal tea or whatever that helps him sleep. He blinks tiredly and then bends down to pick his cat up, scratching behind Hobak’s ears. When the water finishes boiling, Taehyun pours it into a teapot with the tea in the strainer, humming to himself. He pads back upstairs and into the bedroom, pouring a cup for each of them before changing into his pajamas

“Will you help me?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun hums and grabs his nightclothes then walks over, handing them to Beomgyu and helping as he changes. He gives him the tea before placing it on the dresser and getting in bed beside Beomgyu, sighing as he closes his eyes. Beomgyu finishes his tea and curls up beside him. Taehyun tugs him closer with a grunt, slowly beginning to drift off. Gods, he’s so tired. 

It’s just as the sun’s beginning to peek out over the horizon, Taehyun is woken up by Beomgyu. He fumbles, reaching for his glasses, squinting at his mate. 

“Taehyun-ah,” Beomgyu says, his voice hoarse and raspy with sleep, “Taehyun-ah, I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Taehyun says drowsily. He nods to himself. “I love you too.” Beomgyu smiles and Taehyun smiles back, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Beomgyu reaches out and adjusts his glasses. Now that he thinks about it, he looks more awake than he would be if he’d just woken up. 

“What?” Taehyun says. “Why’d you get up? You okay?” Beomgyu smiles and nuzzles him. 

“Mm. Just went to give Hobak something to eat. And then I got something to eat, but it’s whatever. S’nothing, Hyun-ah.” Taehyun grunts as he sits up. 

“You should wake me up if you need things,” he says, pushing his glasses back and rubbing his eyes. Beomgyu hums and Taehyun can hear him shifting around, the early rays of sunlight bleeding in through the cracks in the shutters and streaming into their bedroom. Taehyun looks over at the cold tea and then gets up and pours himself a cup, sitting with his legs pulled up in the armchair. 

“You need to sleep,” Beomgyu says as he sits up and stretches. “If you want to take care of me, you have to take care of yourself first.” He rolls his eyes and speaks as if it’s something obvious. Taehyun snorts into his cup of cold tea and sits back, shivering. 

“There’s a festival coming up,” he says absent-mindedly. Beomgyu hums in response. 

“Do you wanna go?” 

“Sure.”

“When is it?” Beomgyu says as he waddles into the bathroom. Taehyun grunts and stands up, stretching. He shuffles into the bathroom and stands behind Beomgyu, resting his chin on his shoulder. 

“Angel,” he says tiredly. “Angel, go back to bed. Come back to bed, s’too early.” Beomgyu hums and smiles softly, looking at Taehyun. 

“Take a bath with me, Taehyunnie?” he says. Taehyun groans and buries his face in the crook of Beomgyu’s neck. 

“Oh my gods, you can’t _do_ that,” he says raspily. Beomgyu laughs and begins to sway, humming under his breath. “You can’t give me two amazing options and expect me to pick one.” 

“But I just did,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun groans again. 

“I hate you,” he mumbles. Beomgyu laughs and begins filling the tub, slowly undressing. Taehyun looks over at the bedroom and then Beomgyu’s climbing into the water, raising an eyebrow. 

“We are _not_ having sex in the bathtub,” Taehyun says as he fumbles around, trying to pull his pants off. Beomgyu laughs and splashes around, smiling cutely. Taehyun takes his glasses off and climbs in, sitting across from Beomgyu. 

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun laughs. 

“Well, duh,” he says. “But do we have anything to make bubbles?”

“Bubbles?” Taehyun nods. 

“Can you read the labels for me?” Taehyun says. “Are there labels?” He squints at the various vials surrounding them, frowning. Beomgyu is picking things up and putting them back down, then he finds something. 

“Bubbles!” he proclaims victoriously, opening it up. It hits the stream of water and it isn’t long before they’re surrounded by the white, soapy froth. Beomgyu is ecstatic and so is Taehyun as they begin to play like toddlers. There are a lot of bubbles and Taehyun makes a face when he swallows some of them. Beomgyu has a similar reaction, but neither of them can be stopped as they viciously attack each other with bubbles. Taehyun’s got a beard and so does Beomgyu. Their hair has been lost to the wild masses suds and small bubbles float in the air. The water sloshes against the sides of the tub and their giggles fill the air. The early morning light streams through the window, the sun smiling at them as they play. 

Okay, so maybe a bubble bath wasn’t the best idea. But Taehyun doesn’t really mind the repercussions of it. They end up taking two baths and then cuddling in bed, wrapped up in their clean clothes and blankets. Taehyun sighs, closing his eyes. 

“This is nice,” he says, shifting around. Beomgyu hums. 

“Do you think my dad’s gonna be mad at me?” he says. 

“He shouldn’t be,” Taehyun says as he wiggles around so he can curl closer to Beomgyu. “He needed to hear that, and, if he’s mad, then he’s just making it worse. It’s time for him to put effort into your relationship.” 

“Mm. But how?” 

Taehyun shrugs. “I’m the wrong person to ask; my dad sucked too.” Beomgyu laughs. 

“Then I’m guessing that Jin-Hyung, Yoongi-Hyung, and their brothers are out of the picture. And Yeonjun-Hyung.” Taehyun hums and nods, staring up at the ceiling. 

“Huening never knew his dad.”

“Add him to the list. What about Soobin-Hyung?” Beomgyu hums again. 

“I don’t know his dad. Did he have an Alpha mother? I can’t remember. You should ask Yeonjun-Hyung.” 

“So . . . what list is he going on?” 

“Dunno. What about Namjoon-Hyung? Jimin-Hyung? Jeongguk-Hyung?” 

“Namjoon-Hyung’s an orphan,” Taehyun says. “Jimin-Hyung . . . maybe? I don’t know about Jeongguk-Hyung, but I know his parents aren’t here anymore. But . . . but I think that your dad should be doing this. I don’t- it isn’t your responsibility to show him how to parent.” Beomgyu hums. 

“Maybe,” he says. He sighs and rubs his stomach. “I just wish that I knew something. I want to help-”

“-But it isn’t your place. You’re his son. If he wants to be good at parenting, he’ll be figuring it out on his own. And, if he can’t do that, then he’s simply not a good father. But something- I dunno, call it instinct or whatever, but something makes me believe he can do it if he really wants to.” 

Beomgyu sighs, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s frustrating me to no end.” Taehyun hums and rolls onto his stomach, pushing himself up. 

“Do you want a back massage?” Beomgyu nods and Taehyun hoists him up , then sits down. Beomgyu slumps forward as Taehyun begins to massage his back, humming to himself. He looks outside and notes that the sun is actually rising now, soft hues painting the blue sky. The door cracks open and in wanders Hobak, leaping onto the bed. 

“Hey, kitty,” Taehyun says, smiling at the cat. Hobak ignores him and goes to sit in Beomgyu’s lap, purring immediately. Taehyun gapes, very clearly offended, as Beomgyu laughs at him. He hmphs and begins to dig his fingers into Beomgyu’s back with a bit more aggression than before. Beomgyu squawks and turns around to shove him. Taehyun laughs as he rolls back and holds his hands up, flailing.

“Oh, no!” he says, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake Dae-Jung and Hanna. “Help!” Beomgyu grunts. 

“You’re not carrying some freaking kids!” he hisses as he clambers over and tugs Taehyun up. Taehyun, however, tightens his grip on his wrist and pulls Beomgyu into the nest, smiling at him. Beomgyu squawks again and shoves at him, wiggling about as he attempts to sit up. 

“Oh my gods, I _can’t_ ,” Taehyun says as he laughs. 

“Pabo-yah! Help me!” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t kill me,” Taehyun says as he tugs Beomgyu to his feet and then rolls off of the bed. Beomgyu cackles at him while Taehyun lies in a pile of limbs on the ground, his lips pursed. He rolls onto his back and glares at Beomgyu. Taehyun’s glasses are askew but he’s lucky he didn’t land on them, so he supposes life could be worse. Then again, it’s always great when he’s got Beomgyu. 

“Are you okay?” Hanna says, poking her head in. Taehyun cranes his neck and then falls back, deciding to give her a thumbs-up. Beomgyu nods as he stands up, lumbering toward her. 

“Yeah, sorry, Auntie,” he says. “Come meet Taehyun!”

“Wait for breakfast, I’m still a mess,” Taheyun groans as he rolls back onto his stomach. He stands up and shuffles around until he gets to the bathroom, grabbing his toothbrush. Beomgyu comes in, still laughing. He stands beside Taehyun and ruffles his hair, earning a huff from the younger boy as he spits in the sink and washes his mouth out. He doesn’t bother combing his hair as he grabs his slippers and pads out to wait for Beomgyu. 

When they finally do get downstairs, Hanna is heating up food while Dae-Jung sits in one of the chairs. Taehyun pulls out a chair for Beomgyu before sitting down. Hobak attempts to jump into his lap like the little suck-up he is and Taehyun turns away, sticking his tongue out. Beomgyu laughs as the cat wanders over, mewling as if he’s about to die. 

“Didn’t you already feed him?” he says to Beomgyu.

“Yeah. C’mon, Hobak, go and bother someone else. You already ate.” 

“Stinky bastard man,” Taehyun adds for good measure. Beomgyu gasps and hits his bicep. 

“Don’t be mean!” he says, pouting. Taehyun snorts as Hobak runs off, probably to go hide under the couch. He stands up to go and help Hanna bring the food over, passing out plates and cups. The teapot and cups from the previous night end up in the sink as Taehyun passes out utensils. He’s grown used to not using the more western utensils, as metal forks and knives are a ‘luxury’ only few can afford. If he’s being honest, Taehyun prefers the more traditional chopsticks and meals, but that’s just him. He doesn’t have much of a choice, though, since Seokjin refuses to make anything he’d ever eaten in the palace. Also, it’s obviously what he lives with now. 

“Thank you,” Taehyun says when Hanna places the pot of leftovers on the table. She shrugs and then everyone looks at Beomgyu. Taehyun begins serving him and then he offers the spoon to Dae-Jung. The man refuses and gestures at Hanna. 

“No, please,” Hanna says, shaking her head. Taehyun thanks her with a nod and then leaves the spoon in the pot. Dae-Jung insists that Hanna goes first and then they all begin eating. 

“There’s a festival today,” Taehyun says. He looks over at Beomgyu, trying to gauge his reaction. He’s still stuffing his face. “Would you like to come? Neither of us have been, so we thought it’d be nice to go.” 

“Do you know what it’s for?” Hanna says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“I think it’s to celebrate the village’s anniversary. Something like that, but I dunno.” Beomgyu looks up from his bowl.

“Please?” he says softly. 

“We don’t have anything else to do, do we?” Hanna says, smiling warmly. Dae-Jung is smiling at his son and Beomgyu is grinning as he nods. 

When they reach the festival, the sun has set. Their entire pack of sorts is going, and Taehyun is literally connected to Beomgyu. They’re sharing a scarf that Beomgyu found in the depths of the closet. He found it was long enough to loop around their necks with excess fabric, so, here they are. Taehyun doesn’t mind it. Their hands are intertwined between them, swinging as they walk. Lanterns float around and they reflect in Beomgyu’s eyes as he looks around, very clearly awed. Taehyun can’t take his eyes off of him as they walk, and the cold could never grab his attention like Beomgyu. Even as the thin gold frames of his glasses get as cold as ice, Taehyun doesn’t look away. Beomgyu leads him to a pastry shop and they all line up to buy confections. Taehyun begins to laugh when he sees Seokjin eating his and then Namjoon gently pushing it out of the way, pressing their lips together and earning himself a slap. Namjoon laughs while Seokjin eats so much his cheeks puff up and he looks like an angry hamster. Soobin is carrying several pastries and a bag, Yeonjun eating his tart with a smile. They’re sharing Yeonjun’s too-big cloak but the height difference makes it a little difficult because it cuts off at Soobin’s ankles but brushes the ground on Yeonjun. Yoongi and Jimin aren’t as affectionate as the other three couples but both of them are missing a glove and instead hold each other’s hands. Taehyung is riding on Jeongguk’s back, laughing loudly. Hueningkai stands awkwardly near Hoseok, towering over the prince as they walk around. Taehyun can hear the chattering of the surrounding townspeople but he’s a bit distracted by his angel. Beomgyu happily waddles around, wandering between stalls. Taehyun follows, though he doesn’t have a choice, but the situation would only be missing a scarf if he did. Beomgyu chatters loudly as Taehyun listens, hooked on his every word. His nose and ears are cold but Taehyun doesn’t mind because Beomgyu is so happy to be here. And, well, when he starts bringing Dae-Jung with him, Taehyun finds that the night can get even better. They’re quick to fall into their father and son roles, with Beomgyu showing Dae-Jung things that his father begins to talk about. Taehyun finds it impossible to stop smiling as he shuffles after them. 

“Whipped,” Yeonjun whispers in his ear when he passes. Taehyun looks over at him and how Soobin’s resting a hand on his hip while Yeonjun carries yet another bag of (presumably) pastries. 

“As if you aren’t?” he says. Yeonjun sighs, looking over at his lover. 

“I am,” he says and he sounds like what the word ‘lovesick’ would if it was a person. Of course, Taehyun himself isn’t much better. 

The night ends when Beomgyu gets too tired to keep going. It’s sometime around midnight and they bid everyone goodnight and goodbye. Beomgyu’s eyelids are drooping and he keeps rubbing his eyes to try and stay awake. Taehyun thinks a sleepy Beomgyu is the cutest thing in the world (but he thinks that about every Beomgyu) and he thanks everyone for the great night before slowly trudging home. Dae-Jung and Hanna are coming with them and Taehyun struggles with the keys before finally succeeding and then helps Beomgyu with the scarf, his cloak, and his shoes. They go up the stairs and Taehyun helps him into bed, kissing his cheek. 

“Hey,” he says when he sees Dae-Jung, “that- you did- he liked that. Thank you.” 

“Huh?” Taehyun yawns. 

“That was . . . that was some good being a dad there, yeah? He really liked that. Thank you.” Dae-Jung smiles at Taehyun and shakes his head. 

“Go to bed, Taehyun-ah,” he says. Taehyun laughs as he waves over his shoulder, trudging into his bedroom. Beomgyu is sound asleep, already having a conversation about apples. Or, well, that’s what Taehyun gathers before he face-plants on the mattress beside him and passes out. 

Slowly, Beomgyu and Dae-Jung build a healthy father-son relationship. Taehyun watches and he gets to know his (again, sort-of) father-in-law better. Hanna seems to become an aunt to Taehyun as well as the rest of their group and it’s obvious that Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, and even Soobin appreciate having someone else to share the burden of making sure none of them do anything stupid. Taehyun finds it almost impossible to leave the house as Beomgyu approaches his third trimester. They have Taehyung’s birthday party at their house and then celebrate the new year the next day. Beomgyu suffers from something Dr. Yoon called a ‘hot flash’ and they’re apparently totally normal. They happen spontaneously and Beomgyu’s skin heats up like he has a fever. Taehyun has learned to wake up whenever his mate becomes a living furnace so he can run downstairs and try not to trip before stumbling back up with a glass of water. Beomgyu is emotional and he cries whenever Taehyun’s gone for too long. There are days when he’ll refuse to get out from under his plethora of blankets and pillows, glaring at Taehyun through the little hole he carves out for himself. Taehyun has learned the hard way that there’s no negotiating when Beomgyu’s like that. 

But, all in all, Taehyun likes the time he spends with his mate. He likes taking care of him. It makes him happy when Beomgyu’s happy and it’s an added bonus when it’s because of something he did. Beomgyu refuses to sleep without Taehyun, so, whenever Beomgyu decides it’s nap time, it’s also Taehyun’s nap time. They begin to genuinely go over names and there are several lists around the house. Their collection of baby clothes groes bigger every day and Taehyun will fold them up while Beomgyu naps, or the other way around. Taehyun’s eyes are red from lack of sleep and Beomgyu isn’t much better. The babies seem to relish in torturing their tired parents, much to Taehyun’s displeasure. 

When Beomgyu begins groaning randomly and complaining about pain in his hips and pelvis, Taehyun frantically calls Dr. Yoon. She laughs and tells them he’s on his third trimester, which is great because it’s almost over. Beomgyu proclaims he’s become his own walking boulder and Taehyun can’t stop cuddling him. He’s somehow gotten even softer, though the hemorrhoids aren’t very pleasant. Even Taehyun can admit that as Beomgyu lies on his side and sobs about his body never being the same. There isn’t much to do when that happens. 

When he’s around eight months pregnant, Beomgyu’s shoes stop fitting. Which isn’t much of a problem since he barely ever leaves the house, but Dr. Yoon warns them both that he might need new shoes. Beomgyu also complains that his thighs, already rich with chub, have gotten fatter. Taehyun can agree with this, but they’re still cute. Beomgyu disagrees with this. And then, of course, fatigue just _has_ to be a symptom of pregnancy. Both of them are already tired, but Beomgyu acts as if he hasn’t slept in years. It doesn’t help that when he passes the nine-month-mark he begins to snore so loudly that Taehyun is surprised he can even sleep. It was already hard with Beomgyu rambling on and on in his sleep, sometimes even screaming, but the snoring is horrible. 

“Angel, your _snores_ ,” Taehyun whines as he collapses in bed. Beomgyu looks up, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m the one with the damn kids in my damn stomach. Quit complaining.” Taehyun laughs and kisses the underside of his jaw as he begins to rub his stomach. Beomgyu looks like he’s keeping a tortoiseshel strapped to his chest. He’s bursting at the seams and he can’t move without help. Going down the stairs is probably the most dangerous thing he does. His stomach looks like it weighs more than several Hobaks. He acts like it too and refuses to move unless he really has to. Right now, they’re all waiting for the ten months of pregnancy to end. Beomgyu is probably the most excited. 

“I’m gonna miss this,” Taehyun sighs, resting his ear on Beomgyu’s bulging stomach. 

“You try carrying your spawn for, like, ten months. I can guarantee you’d hate it.” Taehyun laughs and smiles at him. 

“Yeah, but . . . you’re just so _cute_ ,” he says happily. 

“Excuse you, I’m always cute.”

“Yeah, but . . . I dunno, there’s just something about you being like this that drives me crazy.” Beomgyu snorts and strains to reach over his stomach and flick Taehyun in the forehead. The Alpha just accepts it with a goofy, lovesick smile. 

“I love you,” he says. Beomgyu giggles. 

“I love you too.” Taehyun sighs. 

“You’re so beautiful. Have I told you that today? I’ve told you that, haven’t I?” Beomgyu laughs and shakes his head. 

“Several times. Once when you thought I was sleeping, twice when I woke up looking like crap, a third time when I was eating breakfast, a fourth-”

“Okay, okay. Just checking,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu laughs again and beckons him closer. Taehyun crawls up so they’re side-by-side. Beomgyu kisses him and Taehyun smiles against his lips, pulling away with a grin. He pauses. “Did I tell you that I love you?” 

“Mmhm.” 

“Well, I haven’t said it enough. I love you, angel. I love you a lot. I don’t think I can love- I can’t love anyone or anything more than you. Yup, I’m doomed.” Beomgyu laughs. 

“Even the pups?” he says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“I’ll love them as much as I love you. But I can’t love anything any more than I love you and I love them because then I would cease to exist. So, I love you guys more than anything in the entire universe because you’re the most precious people in the world to me.” 

“You’re so cute,” Beomgyu coos as he tugs him forward. “I love you more than the entire universe and I love these little babies just as much. And it isn’t fair that you’re the cutest little Alpha and I’m going to have the cutest little babies in the universe. You guys are blowing everyone and everything out of the water and it’s impossible for me to fall in love or find anyone else or anything else attractive or admire their looks.” 

“Sorry,” Taehyun says, smiling cheekily. Beomgyu laughs at him and shakes his head. 

“C’mere,” he says, beckoning him over, “cuddle me.”

And really, that’s how most of their interactions go. They both learn that they’re going to wait until Beomgyu gives birth before any war-related decisions are made. It makes everything a lot easier and Taehyun swears he can see how everyone relaxes. When they get visitors, everyone’s a lot calmer and even more eager to talk about the babies as Beomgyu does whatever. Taehyun sometimes sits behind him and hooks his chin over his shoulder, or Beomgyu lies on his side and places his head in Taehyun’s lap, or Beomgyu sits in his nest with Taehyun bustling around to make sure he doesn’t have any problems. 

“Yah, Hyun-ah,” Beomgyu calls as Taehyun looks for the herbs Dr. Yoon gave them to soothe the pain from the kicks and other symptoms, “sit down, you’re working yourself to the bone.” 

“It’s fine, angel,” Taehyun says as he stands on his tiptoes and gets Beomgyu’s favorite tea down. It’s the beginning of April now and Taehyun’s been so on-edge about the pups that he’s barely had a wink of sleep in the past week. Beomgyu just complains about the babies not coming fast enough and Taehyun tries his hardest to make sure the pain is soothed as much as possible. 

“Taehyun, do you want me to do it?” Dae-Jung says. Taehyun shakes his head as he begins making the tea, talking to himself. He counts the minutes and prays the fatigue leaves him be. 

“Hyun-ah,” Beomgyu says again, “come and cuddle me. That’s more important than some stupid cup of tea or whatever.” 

“Angel,” Taehyun protests, but the look on Beomgyu’s face says that there aren’t any excuses allowed. Taehyun sighs and shuffles over, collapsing beside him. Beomgyu tugs him close so his head is resting in his lap and begins to run his fingers through Taehyun’s hair, humming softly. It isn’t long before Taehyun succumbs to his exhaustion. 

Whenever Taehyun _can_ sleep, he does so like the dead. He’s still easy to wake up, but the moment his glasses are off and his head hits the pillow, he’s out like a candle in the wind. Also, he tends to take a bit of time to actually wake up and be able to fully-function after he’s roused from slumber. 

This isn’t exactly ideal when Beomgyu wakes him up in the middle of the night. 

[ _Euphoria- Diivien Remix_ ](http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Q08qW8pEIw)

“Taehyun-ah,” Beomgyu hisses, shaking his Alpha. Taehyun grunts and rolls away. He can smell something off, but, in his barely-awake brain, it’s easily dismissed. 

“Taehyun-ah! Taehyun-ah, wake up!” 

“Huh? Hm? Wha- what is it?” 

“Taehyun-ah, I’m going into labor!” 

The gears stop turning halfway through and Taehyun very eloquently replies with, “Huh?” 

Beomgyu is done with this. 

“PABO-YAH! I’m going into labor, you idiot! Wake up! Wake up!” 

“Huh?! Huh?!” 

“THE BABIES ARE HERE, FUCKTARD!” Beomgyu shoves Taehyun out of the bed and then gasps loudly, clutching his stomach. Taehyun scrambles about, grabbing his glasses. 

“WHAT?!” 

“THE. BABIES. ARE. COMING!!” Beomgyu screams. Taehyun yelps. 

“What do I do? What? What should I do? Are you okay? Are-” 

“Get the goddamn doctor, pabo-yah! Get the doctor, I’m going into labor!” 

“The doctor?! Dr. Yoon?!” 

“Yes!” 

“Wha’s goin’ on?” Hanna says as she and Dae-Jung appear in the doorway. Taehyun throws his arms over his head. 

“The babies are coming!” he cries. He grabs his cloak and tugs his slippers on, wiggling past them. “I need to get Hyung!”

“What?!” But Taehyun’s already out the door, running as fast as he can to Namjoon and Seokjin’s house. He uses his key and then races up the stairs to their bedroom, shaking Seokjin. The man wakes up with a dazed look on his face. 

“Wha? What’s going on?”

“The babies are here! The babies are coming!” Taehyun screeches wildly. Seokjin sits up so fast that they bump heads and Namjoon’s already fumbling for his glasses. 

“Why didn’t you get a doctor?” he cries as they run out the door. Hoseok and Hueningkai are following them. 

“I panicked!” 

“I can see that,” Seokjin mumbles as he heads to Dr. Yoon’s. 

“The babies!” Taehyun yells. And then, of course, Beomgyu chooses to howl loudly and Taehyun breaks away from Seokjin. He runs to the house and throws the door open, tripping over himself as he attempts to get to his bedroom. Beomgyu is lying on the bed and there’s a wet space between his legs. The lanternlight makes the sweat on his skin glow and Taehyun rushes to his side. He growls at Dae-Jung and Hanna when they get too close, using his body to protect Beomgyu. His mate withers in bed, clutching his stomach and sobbing. Taehyun whines and nudges him, trying to offer as much comfort as he can. Just then, the door bangs open and there’s Dr. Yoon and Seokjin and Namjoon and Hoseok and Yeonjun and Soobin and Hueningkai and Taehyung and Jeongguk and Yoongi and Jimin. Taehyun narrows his eyes and growls at the intruders, especially the Alphas. He’s pretty sure his eyes flash red. 

“Taehyun-ah,” Yeonjun says, stepping forward and holding his hands back as Dr. Yoon attempts to get close. “Taehyun-ah, it’s Hyung. I’m your brother. C’mere.” Taehyun growls again and remains by the bed, muscles tense as he prepares to attack anyone who gets too close. And then Seokjin lifts his hand and a sense of calm washes over Taehyun as he falls, sighing. He didn’t even realize he was shifting but his ears flick and his nails begin to shorten. He pants heavily as he watches as Dr. Yoon gets closer to Beomgyu, beginning to try and calm him down. He’s surprisingly relaxed, a stark contrast to Taehyun. Yeonjun is running his fingers through his hair and helping him calm down. 

All is well until a freaking _baby_ appears. Beomgyu squeaks and Taehyun thrashes in place looking up. Beomgyu shuts his eyes and keeps pushing and _holy shit, that’s a baby right there._ Yeonjun grabs a fistful of Taehyun’s hair and _tugs_. Taehyun yelps and snarls at him, though Soobin’s growl shuts him up. He doesn’t stop moving, though. 

Hours later, two little babies have been produced. Taehyun is holding Sarang, his oldest daughter by three minutes, while Beomgyu is nursing Byeol. Taehyun has two daughters. Sarang looks like a wrinkled thumb after being in the water too long, with wispy black hair and a pudgy face. Dr. Yoon told them not to worry if they seemed too skinny or thin when they were born because twins are like that, but, right now, Taehyun’s a little star-struck. It’s funny because one of his daughters is named star. 

“I’m a dad now,” he breathes. A tear splashes on Sarang’s face and the baby tries to move away from the sensation, searching for Beomgyu. She knows his scent but she also knows Taehyun’s, though it’s obvious who’s got all of the food. Beomgyu, however, is passed out. 

“Sshh, sshh,” Taehyun says softly. He rocks his daughter softly, humming. He looks up at his friends. “You guys, I’m a dad. We’re an Appa and Eomma,” he says. 

“Congratulations,” Yeonjun says. He reaches out and wipes away a tear Taehyun had yet to notice. Taehyun stares at his daughter and then his sleeping mate and other daughter before he finally breaks down. 

“I’m a _dad_ ,” he sobs. His hands are shaking as he clutches little Sarang close. “Gods, I love them so much. They’re my babies and I’m a _dad_.” 

“You are, aren’t you?” Beomgyu says raspily, cracking his eyes open. Sarang whines and Taehyun hands her over. Beomgyu sighs, staring at the two babies on his chest. They’re both swaddled in blankets and pleased to be with their parents. Taehyun sighs, leaning close. 

“Angel, I’m so proud of you,” he says softly as the tears begin to roll down his cheeks. Beomgyu hums and leans back, closing his eyes. Taehyun watches as everyone begins to file out of the bedroom and he smiles to himself, then closes his eyes and falls asleep. This time, however, he and Beomgyu aren’t the only ones in the room.

**Author's Note:**

> see u


End file.
